Forsyth County, Georgia, has some of the toughest DUI penalties in the State of Georgia, and law enforcement is cracking down on DUI arrests throughout the county. Hundreds upon hundreds of DUI cases end up in the Forsyth County State Court every year, with a vast majority of those cases being forced to plead guilty to DUI charges. Here's what you need to know from Forsyth's DUI defense team to be victorious in your case.
1. Fighting Your License Suspension
You only have 10 days to file an appeal letter to keep your driver's license from being suspended after a DUI arrest. In Forsyth, if the cop alleges you refused testing, they will always send the paperwork to the Dept. of Driver Services that seeks a license suspension. We file appeals in 100% of alleged DUI refusal cases. If you tested over the legal limit, or had blood drawn, chances are better that the cop did not send in your license or the paperwork to the Dept. of Driver Services to suspend your license. Mainly, because it's more work for them, and subjects them to a seperate hearing where not much is gained, but they are put under oath and forced to answer any and all questions about your case. So, make sure to look over all of your paperwork and copy everything so we can determine the likelihood of needing to appeal the DUI suspension.
2. Your First Court Dates for DUI Cases
Your case will be heard in the Forsyth County State Court, and a first court date is usually 3-4 months out. However, as of July, 2016, Forsyth has started requiring all people arrested for DUI to come to court in as little as two weeks to be screened for the Forsyth County DUI Court. If you do not have an attorney, you must attend this DUI screening date. We make arrangements for our clients to waive this date, if you are eligible to waive. DUI Court is a very specific and regimented program, usually reserved for habitual offenders or very high BAC (blood alcohol content) cases.
3. How We Fight DUI Cases
We file motions with the court on each and every case challenging the reason for the stop or detention, whether the officer had probable cause to arrest you, whether field sobriety tests were correctly performed, whether the blood or breath results are admissible, and many others. No two DUI cases are alike, and we scan your case for each and every area above, looking for compelling arguments in your favor. Our attorneys have dozens of hearings and trials a year on DUI cases, with a high rate of success.
4. Gathering Evidence from your DUI Stop
Leave gathering evidence to your attorney. Filing for evidence (known as discovery) is something to leave to your counsel. We have a variety of motions we file that compel the state to provide copies or review of all key evidence in your case. Additionally, Forsyth currently has dashcam video in 99% of cases, as well as video from their jail's breath testing room. Timely filing these discovery motions to make sure evidence doesn't slip away is essential, so call us as soon as possible after your arrest.
We are DUI Trial Attorneys
At Zeliff | Watson, we are DUI trial attorneys. Interview with your choice of firms, and you will quickly realize why we are Forsyth's most trusted DUI defense team. Our attorneys are in court daily, and challenging the evidence on each and every case we take. Both of our attorneys will agree that if you simply need someone to help you plead to DUI, you can probably go elsewhere and get the representation you need. Our attorneys challenge cases to get results.
If you have been charged with DUI in Forsyth, give us a call as soon as possible after your arrest. Remember, challenging your license suspension and gathering evidence can not wait. We can be reached 24/7 at (770) 676-1340 or through this site's contact form.