Columbus DUI Overview
DUI, OVI, DWI, OMVI – In Columbus….they all mean the same thing. If you are charged with DUI/OVI in Columbus, you’re facing a large number of serious legal issues, and professional, highly experienced legal representation is the only way to go.
Columbus DUI Penalties
Columbus, Ohio OVI/DUI laws states that those arrested the 1st time for drunk driving can lose their driver’s license for up to three years, pay fines of up to $1,075….and spend a minimum of three days in jail or a residential driver’s intervention program.
If convicted of DUI, you will have a criminal record, which could impact your ability to travel…or even keep your job.
DUI convictions have a number of mandatory penalties. Some of the most severe are for those that have been convicted of DUI in the past 6 years. Prosecutors can sometimes even go back 20 years looking for prior DUI convictions.
Other factors that influence a DUI conviction include whether or not testing was done after the arrest, such as breath, blood, or urine test, and whether the results were over the legal limit. For more detailed information about DUI testing and the defenses we use in court, take a minute and review our Columbus DUI/OVI Testing and legal defense page.
For a majority of our clients, being able to drive again – as soon as possible – is very important. In Ohio, when you are charged with DUI after testing over the limit, or refuses to be tested, their drivers license is immediately suspended. This suspension is referred to as an Administrative License Suspension (ALS).
Here’s a quick overview of how we handle driving privileges. We ask the court to:
- Throw out the suspension
- Stay the suspension
- Or grant temporary limited driving privileges for work, school, medical, and family needs.
What answer we get depends on what happened during and after the DUI arrest.
If you’ve never been arrested for DUI in the past, you could be able to drive as soon as 15 days after the arrest. If you have been arrested in the past, or refused testing, driving privileges can be tougher to get. A good attorney can help though.
If you’d like more information on this subject, see our Columbus Ohio Administrative License Suspension page or our page about the Ohio Limited Driving Privilege and how that works.
Your Court Appearance
Your Columbus DUI arraignment will be at the Franklin County Municipal Court Arraignment Courtroom 4C. It is located at 375 S. High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 on the fourth floor. The Municipal Court Building is north of the German Village district between Mound St. and Fulton.
And please be early – we advise all our clients to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the time of their arraignment.
Nearly all of our Columbus DUI clients will be under a license suspension. Therefore, we highly recommend you make arrangements with someone else to transport you to the courthouse on the day of your arraignment. Parking is available at parking meters, as well as open air lots near the courthouse.
It is extremely important that you do not arrive late so give yourself enough time in case of unforeseen delays.
Please dress appropriately for your court appearance. While your attire will not make or break your case, it is beneficial to make a good first impression to the court.
Items such as jeans, shorts, sweatshirts, cut-offs, hats and gym shoes are not considered appropriate courtroom attire. Just do this – dress like you’re going to a very nice restaurant.
You will also want to bring proof of valid insurance and your driver’s license (if it is still in your possession) to your court date.
Once you arrived at the 375 High Street Courthouse Building, proceed through security. Do not bring any excessive items that may set off the metal detector. Take the elevator up to the fourth floor and wait outside of courtroom 4C. If you get lost or confused, ask any court officer where courtroom 4C is located, and they will be happy to point you in the right direction.
Courtroom 4C is an extremely busy courtroom. Due to the large amount of cases that are processed every day, things may move very slowly. Therefore, you should be prepared for a long waiting period before your case is called.
Mark, Rock or Joe will advise you prior to your hearing what to expect. We will explain the procedure of the hearing, answer any questions you have, and let you know what we will say and do while representing you before the judge.
Facing a DUI charge in Columbus can be stressful. We will guide you through the entire process in order to alleviate any concerns you have because that’s what we’re here for….to provide you with expert advice as to how to best to proceed with your case – and then do it.
At the beginning of this page, I indicated that you’re going to need professional, highly experienced legal representation.
Suhre & Associates would like to be the Columbus DUI Attorneys you call.
So why don’t you pick up the phone and contact the law firm of Suhre & Associates for your FREE consultation….and find out what we can do to help.
Call our 24 Hour Emergency Phone Number at 614 827 2000 if you or a family member has been arrested in Columbus or Franklin County for DUI.
