DUI / OVI In Franklin County, Ohio
The Dominy Law Firm is located in Columbus, Ohio and regularly represents clients charged with OVI / DUI in Franklin County. This page is designed to provide information for people charged with DUI / OVI in Franklin County, Ohio. Many DUI/OVI cases are filed in Franklin County: over 6,000 per year. Many of those cases are held in the Franklin County Municipal Court, and some are filed in mayor’s courts located throughout the county.
Being accused of OVI / DUI in Franklin County, Ohio raises many questions. When can I drive again? What are my next steps? Should I plead guilty or should I fight the DUI/OVI? Should I hire a Franklin County DUI / OVI lawyer? If you are asking yourself questions like these, you have come to the right place. This website contains many pages of information applicable to Franklin County DUI / OVI cases.
When Can I Drive Again?
You are probably asking this question because your license was taken and you were given an Administrative License Suspension (ALS). There are two situations which may have lead to an ALS: (1) you refused a blood/urine/breath test; or (2) you submitted to a blood/urine/breath test and the result was at or over the prohibited level. The length of the ALS, and the period of time you must wait to apply for limited driving privileges, depend on the number of prior OVI convictions and the number of test refusals in the last ten years. On the ALS page of this website, there is a chart illustrating the ALS durations and the waiting periods for driving privileges. You can contest the ALS by filing an appeal and by filing a motion to terminate the ALS. The two methods are similar but involve different legal principles, so both methods should be used to contest the ALS.
What Are My Next Steps?
If you were charged with DUI/OVI in Franklin County, you’re probably wondering what steps you should take. The first step is to educate yourself about DUI/OVI. The pages of this website will help you do that, and you can also learn more by reading the guide ‘Ohio DUI / OVI Guide’. You can purchase the paperback version from online bookstores, or you can download the PDF version for free here. After you educate yourself about the situation, the next steps are to determine whether you will plead guilty or fight the DUI/OVI, decide if you will hire a lawyer, and choose which attorney to hire.
Should I Plead Guilty or Should I Fight The DUI/OVI?
Before going to court, you should decide if you are going to plead guilty or fight the OVI charge. Some people think, if they were charged, there is no way to avoid an OVI conviction. Others can live with an OVI conviction on their record. Those people decide to plead guilty at the first court appearance. On the other hand, some people believe it’s very important to avoid an OVI conviction, so they plead not guilty at the first court appearance and fight the OVI. Each person has to make a decision for himself or herself based on their circumstances.
One thing to keep in mind: if you plead guilty at the first court appearance, the case will be finished, and you will never know the strength of the case against you because you not have a chance to see all the evidence. If you plead not guilty, you will have the opportunity to review the prosecution’s evidence, determine what evidence will be admissible, and evaluate available defenses. Fighting the OVI can often lead to a better case result than a quick guilty plea.
Should I Hire A Franklin County DUI / OVI Lawyer?
If you decide to contest the DUI/OVI, it is beneficial to hire a lawyer. Not all lawyers have the same qualifications, so you will want to research attorneys to find one with expertise in DUI/OVI and experience in Franklin County. The Dominy Law Firm has expertise in DUI/OVI defense, and the lawyers have extensive experience practicing in Franklin County. To learn more about the Dominy Law Firm, please see this site’s About Us page, as well as the pages with our case results and client reviews. If you finish your research and would like to schedule a free phone consultation, please call 614-717-1177 or submit a CONTACT FORM.