If you are charged with DUI / OVI and have previously been convicted of a DUI / OVI or related charges, the consequences are increasingly severe. The sentence for DUI / OVI increases with each conviction, the Administrative License Suspension is longer with each conviction or refusal, and there becomes the possibility that you will be added to the DUI/OVI habitual offender registry. If you have a prior DUI conviction and are currently charged with OVI in central Ohio, you may want to hire a Columbus DUI lawyer with expertise in these matters.
The Ohio Department Of Public Safety maintains a list of “Ohio’s Habitual DUI / OVI Offenders”. Courts are required to send to the Department of Public Safety the identity of DUI / OVI offenders and the number of times the offender has been convicted in the last 20 years. If a person has been convicted of D.U.I., O.V.I., B.U.I., Physical Control, or an equivalent offense, five times within the last 20 years, that person is listed in the registry of habitual offenders. The registry is a public record and includes a searchable internet database that contains the offender’s name, birth date, address, and number of convictions within 20 years.
If you are charged with DUI / OVI and have one or more prior convictions, you are considered a repeat DUI / OVI offender, and the consequences are severe. In addition to the DUI / OVI sentence for repeat offenses, there are also secondary consequences that can have a drastic impact on your life.
If you are facing a repeat DUI / OVI offense, you do not have to plead guilty and simply take the consequences. A good DUI / OVI attorney with expertise and experience can affect the outcome of your case. Even cases that seem hopeless at the outset can be defended if your attorney is effective. If you plead guilty to the repeat DUI / OVI, there is a 100% chance that you will receive the sentence for a repeat offense. If you plead not guilty and contest the charge, you give yourself a chance to review the evidence against you and possibly avoid some of the consequences.
Your DUI / OVI lawyer should obtain and review the evidence the prosecution intends to use. Reviewing the evidence may expose weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, such as issues with the breath test, blood test, or urine test. The evidence may also reveal problems with the DUI / OVI investigation, including the field sobriety tests. Your DUI / OVI attorney will guide you through the court process, seek to exclude evidence, negotiate with the prosecutor, take the case to trial if necessary, and present circumstances that mitigate the sentence.
Our practice is focused on DUI / OVI defense, and we have experience representing clients with habitual DUI / OVI offenses. For more information about our practice, please see the firm overview. You can also see what our clients say and review our past case results. We limit the number of cases we accept so we can provide outstanding service to our clients. If you would like to discuss how we can help with your repeat DUI / OVI, EMAIL US or call us at 614-717-1177 to arrange a free consultation.