OVI / DUI Lawyer For Mount Vernon, Ohio

DUI/OVI In Mount Vernon, Ohio
Our lawyers represent clients for Mount Vernon, Ohio DUI / OVI, and this website page is for people seeking information on DUI/OVI cases there. DUI/OVI tickets in Mount Vernon are written by at least three law enforcement agencies: the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Mount Vernon is the county seat of Knox County, and the misdemeanor DUI/OVI cases are filed in the Mount Vernon Municipal Court.

If you were charged with DUI/OVI in the Mount Vernon area, you probably have many questions. What is the evidence? What is the court process? Should I contest the charge or should I plead guilty? These frequently asked questions are answered in various pages of this website.

Those topics and others are also addressed in the book ‘Ohio DUI / OVI Guide’. That book is a quick read and discusses what you should know before going to court and before hiring a lawyer. The paperback version is available for sale in online bookstores and the e-book version is available as a free download from this website.

The Evidence In DUI/OVI Cases
The evidence in OVI cases comes mainly in the form of observations, videos, and chemical tests. Observation evidence may be from civilian witnesses but is mostly from police officers. They undergo training for detecting drunk drivers, so if they stop a driver and believe the driver may be intoxicated, they have the driver perform field sobriety tests. If the officer has probable cause to believe the driver is under the influence, the officer makes an arrest. The officer then asks the driver to submit to a chemical test to determine the concentration of alcohol and or drugs in the drivers blood, urine, or breath.

For breath testing, officers in Knox County sometimes use the Intoxilyzer 8000 breath-testing instrument. That machine has been repeatedly challenged, but law enforcement in Knox County continues to prosecute OVI / DUI cases involving the Intoxilyzer 8000. The attorneys at the Dominy Law Firm have experience in Intoxilyzer 8000 cases. Both Shawn Dominy and Bryan Hawkins are involved in new litigation involving this machine.

The Court Process For Mount Vernon DUI/OVI Cases
If you are charged with DUI/OVI, your arraignment takes place within a few days of receiving the ticket. Plea bargaining typically does not take place at the first court appearance, so the options are pleading guilty, pleading no contest, and pleading not guilty. If a guilty plea or no contest plea is entered, the case is finished quickly.

If a not guilty plea is entered, the case will be scheduled for additional hearings. The second hearing is ordinarily a pretrial hearing. At this hearing, the prosecution and defense discuss the case and engage in plea negotiations. The case may be finished at this hearing. If the case is not finished at the pretrial, there may be a motion hearing for the judge to rule on the admissibility of evidence. If the case is not resolved at the motion hearing, it will be scheduled for a trial. At a trial, a jury or judge decides if the evidence proves the defendant’s guilt. If there is a guilty finding, a sentence hearing is held for the judge to impose the sentence.

As the first court appearance is held soon after the ticket is issued, you’ll want to make some decisions fairly quickly. First, you’ll want to decide whether you will plead guilty or contest the case. Second, you’ll want to determine whether you will hire an attorney. Third, if you choose to hire an attorney, you’ll need to select an attorney to represent you. If you are contesting the case, you’ll want to select an attorney with experience and expertise in DUI/OVI defense.

Attorneys For Mount Vernon, Ohio DUI/OVI Cases
The attorneys at the Dominy Law Firm have experience and expertise in DUI/OVI defense. For more information about attorneys Shawn Dominy and Bryan Hawkins, please see their attorney profiles. If you are interested in the client satisfaction and case outcomes, please see this site’s client reviews and case results pages. If you would like to schedule a free phone consultation with the Dominy Law Firm, please call 614-717-1177 or complete this contact form.