Many professionals in Ohio are licensed by the State or other licensing authorities. Professional licensure rules typically require the licensed individual to renew the license periodically. One question which may be asked in the application or renewal process is whether the individual has been arrested for, charged with, and/or convicted of certain offenses. Some licensing bodies also require disclosure outside the renewal process: within a certain time period after the offenses. Those offenses may include DU (called ‘OVI’ in Ohio). The lawyers at the Dominy Law Firm represent professionally licensed clients for DUI / OVI in Columbus, Ohio and the central Ohio area.
Any professional licensed by the State of Ohio or another licensing authority may be affected by a DUI / OVI. The professionals we represent for these cases include:
| Accountants/Advisors | Doctors | Pharmacists |
| Architects | Engineers | Pilots |
| Bankers/Brokers | Lawyers | Psychologists |
| Barbers | Medical Professionals | Realtors |
| Chiropractors | Nurses | Social Workers |
| Cosmetologists | Physical Therapists | Teachers |
| Counselors | Occupational Therapists | Therapists |
| Dentists | Ophthalmologists | Veterinarians |
The requirement for reporting a DUI / OVI depends on the specific professional licensing board. Some licensing bodies require disclosure of all arrests, charges and convictions. Many only mandate disclosure of convictions (not arrests or charges), and some only require disclosure of certain types of convictions. If you have been charged with DUI / OVI and hold a professional license, it is important to obtain and review your board’s rules for disclosing arrests, charges and convictions. If you are represented by the Dominy Law Firm, we will review the rules with you to help you determine your reporting requirements.
The impact of a DUI / OVI on a professional license depends on the particular licensing authority. Different licensing bodies impose various levels of discipline for a DUI / OVI. Regardless of which board is involved, it is likely beneficial to achieve the best possible outcome for a DUI / OVI case. We do not represent clients with regard to board disciplinary hearings, but we do help professionally licensed clients achieve the best possible outcomes for DUI / OVI cases.
If you are a professional facing charges of DUI / OVI, one thing you should know is you will probably not achieve the best possible outcome by going to the first court appearance and pleading guilty. After you plead guilty, you will be sentenced, and the conviction will become part of your permanent record. Once a conviction is finalized, it is nearly impossible to undo it.
Rather than pleading our clients guilty, we contest DUI / OVI cases. We first enter a plea of Not Guilty and either seek to have our client’s driver license returned or obtain limited driving privileges. At that stage, we also file a Demand For Discovery to obtain the evidence the prosecution intends to introduce. We then investigate the facts, file motions to suppress damaging evidence, and prepare defenses to the charges. Those defenses may be used in a trial to seek a Not Guilty verdict. Short of a trial, the defenses are used in negotiations with the prosecution in an effort to have the DUI / OVI reduced to a lesser offense.
You have worked hard to earn a professional license. If that professional license is jeopardized by a DUI / OVI charge, the Dominy Law Firm can help. We only represent clients who intend to challenge their DUI / OVI cases, we only represent clients in Central Ohio, and we only represent a limited number of clients. If you’d like to talk about how we can help, you can schedule a free phone consultation: either submit a CONTACT FORM or call 614-717-1177.