Lamar County DUI Lawyer

30 Day Warning

If you have been arrested for DUI in Lamar County, you only have thirty days from the date of your arrest to appeal the automatic suspension of your driver's license. There is a $150 filing fee charged by the State of Georgia to file the appeal.  Saving your license is the first step in your DUI Defense.  Without the ALS Hearing or an ignition interlock device, your license cannot be saved.  You will lose your license.  In the case of a refusal, the suspension will be for 12 months.

ALS Hearings in Lamar County

You only have 30 days to request a hearing to save your license from being suspension. This hearing must be requested in writing along with a $150 fee. At this Administrative License Suspension (ALS) hearing, your Lamar County DUI Lawyer will present a case showing that you need your driver's license, and also that it should not have been suspended. Your attorney can argue that the arresting officer did not have reasonable grounds to suspect you for DUI.  

Additionally, the hearing may determine if you caused an accident, injury or death while driving impaired and whether or not you submitted to a blood or breath test. Although you may represent yourself at an ALS hearing, having an aggressive Lamar County DUI attorney fighting for your rights is the most successful way to have your license reinstated. At the firm, our Lamar County DUI Lawyers have a broad understanding of the DUI legal system and can help you understand your rights and legal circumstances so you can enter your hearing fully prepared.

DUI Charges in Lamar County

In order to be stopped and arrested on suspicion of a Georgia DUI, the arresting officer needs probable cause to believe that a person is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Officers obtain the probable cause needed to make a DUI arrest by observing poor driving patterns, watching for signs of intoxication such as slurred speech, an odor of alcohol, bloodshot eyes, and poor performance on field sobriety tests. There are other things officers are looking for, but those are just some of the signals used to justify a DUI stop.

A driver has the ability to limit the probable cause that the officers are looking for by taking steps to enforce their rights. If pulled over on suspicion of DUI, the driver should not say anything except to invoke their 5th Amendment right to remain silent and request a Lamar County DUI attorney. Furthermore, the field sobriety tests are optional and should not be performed. Field sobriety tests can be difficult even for people not under the influence, and there are often extenuating factors that contribute to the failure of those tests. Lastly, the breathalyzer test is also optional and should not be taken. However, you do have to submit to the state's test or request your own test! This is not the roadside breathalyzer test; it is the State's chemical test.

By limiting the probable cause, you give your Lamar County DUI Lawyer the ability to argue that the arrest was illegal because the officer did not have the required probable cause to make the DUI arrest.

It is important to note that taking these steps does not mean that you won't be arrested. The purpose of protecting your rights is to help with your DUI Defense in court. The officers will still likely make the arrest, but now you have armed your DUI Lawyer in Lamar County with arguments to contest the initial arrest. 

Lamar County Superior Court

Lamar County Superior Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all felony DUI cases. Lamar County is part of the Towaliga Judicial Circuit along with Butts and Monroe County. Caleb Tyson is the Clerk of Lamar County Superior Court. The Court is located at 326 Thomaston Street, Barnesville, GA 30204. For more information, call 770.358.5145.

Lamar County Probate Court

If you were arrested for DUI outside of Barnesville city limits, your case will proceed in Lamar County Probate Court. The Court is located at 326 Thomaston Street, Barnesville, GA 30204. The Honorable Judge Kathryn B. Martin presides over the Court. For more information, call 770.358.5155.

Barnesville Municipal Court

If you have been arrested for DUI within Barnesville city limits, your case will proceed in barnesville Muncipal Court. Barnesville Municipal Court is located at 100 Mill Street, Barnesville GA 30204.  Judge Rob Morton is the presiding judge, and Mark Irvin is the prosecutor.  For any questions about paying a ticket or general court procedures, call the Clerk of Court, Kathy Munday at 770-358-1234.

Contact Our DUI Attorneys in Lamar County Today

If you have questions about your DUI case in Lamar County, contact us today. We understand the question and concerns you have and want to walk you through the process and take some of the pressure off of you. Call our Lamar County DUI Lawyers now and take the first step to achieving a great result for your case.