Suwanee DUI Charges
The Suwanee, Georgia police department and Georgia State Patrol both have the power to make DUI arrests within the City of Suwanee. If you have been arrested and charged with DUI, there are some steps you want to take immediately after being released from jail.
Appealing Your DUI License Suspension in Suwanee
The first step after a DUI arrest is to prepare an appeal of any license suspension that maybe looming from your arrest. Under Georgia law, if you test over the legal limit for DUI, the officer must take your license and forward it to the Dept. of Driver Services. The officer must also serve you with a DPS form 1205 that notifies you of the intent to suspend your license. An example of the 1205 form can be found here.
Their are instructions on the back of these forms about the appeals process, however, it is advised that you have a lawyer draft and send this letter, certified mail, for you. Our office does not charge any extra administrative fee to send this letter on your behalf- simply call us if you need to start this process.
Typically, within 30-45 days of driver services receiving your appeal letter, you will be set for a hearing on whether your driver's license will be suspended. At this hearing, your lawyer will represent you and attempt to either negotiate with the officer about your license, or win the hearing on the evidence. These hearings are held at the Gwinnett County Justice Center, located in Lawrenceville. These hearings are usually held on a Wednesday evening and include hearings from all Gwinnett area cities as well as county officers.
Fighting Your DUI Charge in Suwanee Municipal Court
The second step to your case is to fight your DUI charges in the Suwanee Municipal Court. Your first court date should be marked on your citations for DUI and your bond paperwork. Once again, get with an attorney early and go over the facts of your case and make sure to provide them with copies of all of your arrest related paperwork. Our office uses a questionnaire in addition to our 1-on-1 interview to ensure we cover all the bases.
Your lawyer will gather evidence from the police department and court on your case. DUI evidence can range from only a police report, to reports, videos, supplemental reports, scientific reports, etc. Your lawyer will speak with you about exactly what evidence is needed in your particular case.
Once your lawyer has all of the evidence in your case, it is good practice to schedule a sit down appointment to review your file with you and go over strategy. If a plea can be negotiated in the Suwanee Court, then your case will typically be closed within 3-6 months after your arrest. If your case is sent to Gwinnett County for a jury trial and other hearings, the process can take anywhere between 6-12 months and sometimes longer.
We Are Suwanee DUI Lawyers
Both Mr. Zeliff and Mr. Watson have extensive experience in Gwinnett County and the Suwanee Municipal Court. In addition to dozens of peer and client rated reviews, Mr. Zeliff | Watson both keep up to date with the latest in DUI law and the science behind DUIs. In March of 2013, both lawyers attended one of Georgia's first courses on the new breath testing machine- the Intoxilyzer 9000- that will be coming to police departments across Georgia. Both lawyers also have hours of training on field sobriety tests, used in almost all Georgia DUI arrests.
If you have been arrested in Suwanee and charged with DUI or other traffic citations, call our firm today to speak with us about your case. We will set up an appointment, phone or in-person (preferred) to discuss all aspects of your case.