OVI / DUI Lawyer For London, Ohio

DUI/OVI In London, Ohio
This web page is designed for people charged with DUI/OVI in London, Ohio. It may also be helpful for residents of London charged with DUI/OVI elsewhere in central Ohio. London is a relatively small city about 25 miles southwest of Columbus, Ohio. As London is a city, it has its own law enforcement agency: the London Police Department. The London area is also patrolled by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. As a result, there are a fair number of DUI/OVI cases originating in the London area. Most of those cases are filed in the Madison County Municipal Court.

If you have been charged with DUI/OVI in London, Ohio, you likely have questions. What is the potential sentence? What is the court process? Should I plead guilty to DUI/OVI or contest the charges? Those questions are answered in the DUI/OVI pages of this website. Answers to those questions, and additional information, can also be found in the book ‘Ohio DUI / OVI Guide’. That book is sold in online bookstores, and you can also download the free e-book version from this website.

Sentencing For OVI / DUI In London, Ohio
DUI/OVI offenses in Ohio have minimum mandatory sentences and maximum possible sentences. For example, the minimum mandatory sentence for a first offense within ten years includes three days in jail, a license suspension of one year, and a fine of $375. The maximum sentence for a first offense within ten years includes 180 days in jail, a license suspension of three years, and a fine of $1,075. A court can also require you to have yellow license plates, an ignition interlock system, and a period of probation. Additional DUI/OVI convictions within the statutory “lookback periods” of ten years and 20 years carry increasingly severe penalties. The table on the ‘DUI/OVI Penalties’ page of this site summarizes the potential sentences.

The Intoxilyzer 8000 In London, Ohio
Some of the breath tests administered in London / Pickaway County OVI cases are done on the Intoxilyzer 8000 breath-testing machine. Although the machine’s reliability has been successfully challenged in other counties, they continue to prosecute OVI / DUI cases in Pickaway County using the Intoxilyzer 8000. The Dominy Law Firm has experience with the Intoxilyzer 8000. Founding attorney Shawn Dominy was involved in a case in another county in which the judge concluded the Intoxilyzer 8000 is too unreliable for its results to be admissible as evidence. Both Shawn Dominy and Bryan Hawkins are currently involved in litigation involving this breath-testing machine.

The DUI/OVI Court Process
The arraignment, the first court appearance, is ordinarily held within five business days from the day the ticket is issued. At the arraignment, the prosecutor usually does not engage in much plea bargaining. Instead, you are given the choices of pleading guilty or no contest to the DUI/OVI, or pleading not guilty. If you plead guilty or no contest, the case will be finished quickly, and you will not be able to thoroughly review the prosecution’s evidence and present your own evidence.

As the arraignment is only a few days after the ticket is issued, you will need to make some decisions relatively quickly. First, you’ll need to decide if you want to plead guilty at the arraignment or contest the charges. Second, you’ll need to determine whether you will hire a lawyer to represent you. Third, if you are going to hire a lawyer, you’ll need to choose the specific lawyer. To make these decisions, it may be helpful to research attorneys and speak with a few before selecting one. Attorneys have varying levels of expertise and experience, and the attorney you choose may make a significant difference to the outcome of your case.

Attorneys For London, Ohio DUI/OVI Cases
The attorneys at the Dominy Law Firm have experience and expertise in DUI/OVI defense, and that area of law is the firm’s focus. For more information, please see this site’s About Us page. You can also see information about the Dominy Law Firm’s case outcomes and client satisfaction on the case results page and the client reviews page. If you have a DUI/OVI case in London or are a London resident with a DUI/OVI case elsewhere in Central Ohio, you can arrange for a free phone consultation by completing a CONTACT FORM or by calling 614-717-1177.