Dayton DUI Overview
In Dayton, DUI, OVI, DWI and OMVI all mean the thing – drunk driving. And if you’ve been arrested and charged with DUI in Dayton, you have legal issues that will require smart and professional legal representation.
Dayton DUI Penalties
Dayton, Ohio DUI law states that drivers that are stopped and arrested – the first time – can lose their drivers license for as long as three years, have to pay more than $1,000 in fines, and spend up to three days in jail or be required to participate in a drivers intervention program.
If you’re found guilty of DUI, you’ll end up with a criminal record – which many times will cost you your job.
And if convicted of DUI, you face of a number of penalties. However, the most severe are handed out to those that have a prior DUI conviction in the prior 6 years. And we’ve even seen prosecutors go back 20 years looking for past DUI convictions.
Other issues that impact a DUI conviction include whether breath, blood, or urine testing was done after the arrest – and were the results over the legal limit? We’ve put together much more detailed information about Dayton DUI testing and specific legal defenses we utilize in court at our Dayton DUI Testing and legal defense pages – why not take a minute or two and get your questions answered blood tests, urine tests and breath tests.
Over the years, there’s one thing we’ve learned – for most of our clients, being able to drive as soon as possible after an arrest for DUI is extremely important. In Dayton, there’s no way around the law – when you are arrested and charged with DUI after testing over the limit, or refuse a test, your license is suspended right then and there. The license suspension is commonly referred to as ALS, or an Administrative License Suspension
Since we typically get asked very often how we handle your license suspension, here’s an overview of how we handle getting driving privileges for our clients. We will ask the judge to:
- Throw out your license suspension and allow you to drive immediately
- Hold off on the decision to suspend your license to a later date
- Give you driving privileges for work needs, activities related to any DUI related intervention programs and perhaps special needs related to medical or family obligations if needed.
What answer will the Judge give us? It really depends on what happened during your arrest – and after. If you’ve never been arrested for DUI in the past, and were cooperative, you might be able to drive within fifteen days of your arrest. If you have prior DUI convictions, were uncooperative during the DUI stop, or refused to be tested, we’ll have to be more creative.
We have more detailed information at our Dayton, Ohio Administrative License Suspension page – and on our page about the Ohio Limited Driving Privilege and how this process works.
Your Court Appearance
The Dayton Municipal Court is located at 301 West Third Street, Dayton, OH, 45402. There is parking at several secure covered garages within a block or two of the Courthouse from $7-8 a day. There is also a surface lot with an attendant across the street for $5.00 a day.
Your case will be randomly assigned to one of five Municipal Court Judges. Each Judge has their own method of handling their cases on any given day. No matter – we will be able to effectively represent you no matter what Judge hears your case.
Please arrive at least thirty minutes before your Court appearance. Nearly all of our DUI clients will be under a license suspension. So be smart – make arrangements with a family member or friend to drive you to Courthouse.
And please…..dress correctly for your Court appearance. Items such as jeans, shorts, sweatshirts, cut-offs, hats and Nike Air-Jordons are not what you want to wear to Court and appear in front of a Judge. Wear a suit if you have one, dark blue or black is preferred. If you do not have a suit, wear the nicest casual clothes you have. Avoid bright colors or shirts with writing on them. And no hats in Court either.
You will also be asked to turn-off your cell phone and remove all bluetooth ear pieces before entering the Courtroom.
You’ll need to bring proof of insurance that was valid – on the day you were pulled over – and also valid on the day we go to Court. If for some reason, you were already given limited driving privileges, bring your letter with you in the event it needs to be modified.
Once you arrive at the Courthouse, proceed through security. Avoid bringing items that may set off the metal detector. Take the elevator up to the appropriate floor and wait outside of Courtroom until it opens. If you get lost or confused, ask any court officer or employee where your room or Judge is located, and they’ll give you directions.
Municipal Court’s in Dayton can be very busy some days – and very light on others. No matter what the volume of court cases is, you should expect to be in Court for several hours. Our lawyers will do everything they can to get your case called and get you out of Court as quickly as possible.
Rob, Rock or Joe always advise you prior to your Court appearance in terms of what to expect. We will explain the procedure of the hearing, and what we will say when you appear before the judge. Don’t hesitate to contact our office with questions prior to your court date if you have them – and we’ll be there to answer any others you have the day of your court appearance as well.
Facing a DUI charge is stressful. We promise to help you through the entire process, resolve any concerns you have, and answer all your questions. It is our duty to provide you with expert advice, guide you through the legal process, and represent you in the courtroom.
Earlier on this page, I said you were going to need smart and professional legal representation. We’d like to be the Dayton DUI Attorneys you call for that help.
Why not pick up the phone and call Suhre & Associates for a FREE consultation by using our 24 Hour Emergency Phone Number at 937-531-0435. We won’t pressure you – we’ll just answer your questions.
If we work together to solve your legal problem….great. If not, that’s okay too.
We have a very strong track record of success throughout the State of Ohio, and we can certainly help with your DUI arrest in Dayton, Montgomery County and surrounding counties as well.
