Kevin Aaron Chastine’s Answers

Not necessarily, you need to file a letter within 10 business days to appeal the suspension of your license. That will provide an opportunity to avoid a hard suspension, But the circumstances of that can be rather complicated. You should speak with an experienced DUI attorney about how best to protect your license and possibly get your case reduced. Feel free to call anytime at 404-987-0245 to discuss in more detail at no charge.

All depends on the facts of your case, of course, but sometimes when a defendant has two open cases, it is possible to negotiate them together. You may end up with one case reduced if you plead guilty to the other one. Or, you might decide to roll the dice and take both of them to trial, though the consequences of winning one and losing the other may be more harsh than working out a deal. Your attorney will advise you of the best strategy depending on the facts of your cases. Best wishes to you.

The cost of the DUI itself (as in, the fine) probably won't be significantly higher, because it is a misdemeanor offense with a maximum fine of $1,000. If you have other related charges, though, such as speeding, you could end up with an extra $1,000 for each of those. The bigger concern is the other stiffer penalties such as jail time, license suspension, community service, etc. You will almost certainly want to find an attorney you're comfortable with on a second charge if you weren't...

You need to speak with an attorney as soon as possible. There are some things you need to do right away, such as filing the 10-day letter to request a hearing regarding your license. There are some serious consequences to this charge, so don't just go in and plead guilty; there could be many possible ways to fight the case or obtain a reduction to a lesser charge. Finding a lawyer you're comfortable with will give you the best chance to minimize the damage now that you're in this situation....

If your income is very low, or if you are unemployed, you may qualify for a Public Defender through the court. If you don't qualify, though, that means the court believes you could afford representation for yourself (even if it might be a stretch to do so). All I can say is, apply for a Public Defender, and if you don't qualify, try your best to make a new budget or see if you have anything that you can sell in order to raise some funds for defense counsel. There are many lawyers, including...

This can happen when a defendant provides an "insufficient sample." The idea being that you have refused the test by not blowing enough air into the machine to yield a result. Unfortunately, this can happen even when you are honestly trying to provide a breath sample, and you're stuck with the consequences of refusing the test (license suspension etc). On the other hand, without a breath test it may be harder for the State to prove that you were driving under the influence. It may be...

Agreed, sorry, with the current laws there is no way to have your record expunged if you pled guilty.

The officer may have suspected that there were additional substances in your system. Blood is a little out of the ordinary but it does happen. Did the officer read to you a little orange card right after the arrest? This contains your "implied consent notice" and it's very important. If not, the blood test should be thrown out, and if so, did he ask for a chemical test of your blood at that time? He has to read that card to you verbatim, and he should be asking for breath on the scene and then...

They should've given you a breath test if you changed your mind at the station at a reasonable time. Give us a call to discuss your case in more detail at no charge--404-881-8866

We always advise people to go ahead and send the 10-day letter along with the $150 fee to DDS. This will cover you just in case they do try to suspend your license. If they don't schedule a hearing, you can request your $150 back. Better to be safe than sorry. Call one of our DUI attorneys if you would like to discuss your case further--404-881-8866. Best wishes.