The City of Milton, Georgia is tough on DUI, and understanding the following information about how DUIs are prosecuted in Milton will help you achieve the best results in your case. Our law firm has successfully defended hundreds of people accused of DUI in Milton and neighboring Alpharetta, and here are some things we suggest you know:
1. How to Save Your Driver's License After a DUI Arrest
If you have been arrested for DUI, chances are the officer took your driver's license and had you sign some paperwork dealing with your driver's license. This paperwork usually includes a 1205 form, which is the legal paperwork cops must fill out and submit to the Georgia Dept. of Driver Services in order to suspend your license for DUI. Make sure you have this 1205 form in your possession before you start calling lawyers to defend you.
Milton cops usually will ask you for a blood or a breath test if you are arrested for DUI. If you agree to take a test, and it comes back over the legal limit, you will face a license suspension initiated by the 1205. If you refuse to take a test after arrest, then your license can be suspended for 12 months, without any work or hardship permit available. This tough license suspension is why it is so important to make sure your appeal letter is timely submitted to DDS after a DUI.
In order to appeal your driver's license being suspended, we must submit your letter within 10 business days of your arrest. Our law firm will submit this letter on your behalf and make sure it is faxed, sent certified mail, and that you have a copy of it emailed to you. Remember, the driver's license hearing that you receive from this appeal is not tied into your DUI case in Milton Court. Milton has its own prosecutor and separate court system that is responsible for your criminal DUI case. So, Step 1 is to call us today to save your driver's license.
2. Going to Court in Milton Municipal Court on Your DUI
After you bond out of jail on your DUI charge, you will be given a court date to appear in Milton. Usually, the court date can be found on your tickets, towards the bottom of the citation. The ticket will order you to appear on a certain date at the courthouse on your case. This first court date is known as an arraignment date. Milton, like most municipal courts, is more flexible on court scheduling than larger county courts, like Fulton County.
Before your first court date, your attorney will gather up all of the evidence in your case. Milton cops almost all have video in their patrol cars, so obtaining the video evidence of your arrest is a high priority. We will also obtain all report and any scientific reports if you took a blood or breath test as part of your arrest.
Generally, our firm uses your first court date in Milton to begin negotiations with the prosecutor in your case. Sometimes a plea agreement can be negotiated before this first date, but it is common for 2-4 court dates to be assigned before a case is fully resolved. Do not panic if your case gets rescheduled. Like I always tell clients: if it takes the case being rescheduled to get the best results, I will happily come back time and time again until we close everything. I do however encourage clients to be proactive about their defense, which I will discuss next.
3. Being Proactive in Your DUI Defense: Go Above and Beyond
A vast majority of clients I represent on DUI charges in North Atlanta are willing to do whatever it takes to have their DUI dropped to a lesser charge or dismissed entirely. While an outright dismissal almost always requires fighting your case in Fulton County, a lesser charge can be negotiated for in Milton's court.
If you have been charged with DUI in Milton, I recommend that you signup for some rather predictable requirements before we ever even set foot in court. Attending DUI School, sitting down for an alcohol evaluation, and starting community service are all things I suggest clients do, where possible, before court. Of course, some clients would prefer to wait and see how negotiations go before committing to do classes and courses. However, I'd advise you to begin these early if your desire is to negotiate a lesser plea in the City of Milton.
4. Why Zeliff | Watson Are Your Lawyers for DUI in Milton
My law partner, Peter Zeliff, and myself have defended literally hundreds of DUI cases throughout Metro Atlanta. Every year, we spend thousands of dollars attending DUI specific training and keeping our DUI organization memberships up-to-date. At Zeliff | Watson, DUI cases are not something we take because our other business is down, rather it is our concentration, or specialty.
If you have been charged with DUI in Milton, give us a call or send us a contact form today to discuss the first steps in your case. Rather than give you a high-pressure sales pitch, we will take the time to really discuss and analyze your case with you, as well as talk about your most important goals in your case.
We can be reached 24/7 at (770) 676-1340, or by submitting a contact form found on this site.