If you have been arrested for a DUI in Georgia, experienced DUI trial attorneys James “Skip” Sullivan and Bob Chestney are available to discuss your case anytime – including after-hours and weekends! Call us at 404.816.8777 (office), Mr. Sullivan’s mobile phone: 404.290.2151 (call or text), or email at Skip@dui-lawyer.com.
First and foremost, building an Atlanta DUI defense requires the skills of an experienced attorney. You and your attorney must work together to build the evidence that can turn your Georgia drunken driving defense into an acquittal. Time is critical as valuable evidence can be lost if you wait too long to hire a skilled attorney to defend your case.
The evidence you can provide for your Atlanta drunken driving defense
A Georgia DUI attorney can provide the best possible Georgia DUI help if you supply as many details as possible pertaining to your arrest during your very first meeting. This includes the following information:
- Any official paperwork from the arrest: Try to obtain copies of police reports in addition to anything handed to you. At the very least, keep your citations, bonding paperwork, court information, DS-1205 license suspension paperwork, and printouts from any breath test administered in a safe place.
- A description of the incidents leading up to the arrest: Be prepared to explain what you were doing prior to the traffic stop. If you were drinking, identify where and how much. If you were not drinking, did you take any prescription or over-the-counter medications?
- What happened during the police stop: If you agreed to a field sobriety test, did the police first explain your rights and the possible consequences of refusing to take the test? How was the test conducted, and what were you required to do? If you agreed to chemical blood testing, where and when was the test performed, and what type of test was given (breath, blood, or urine)?
- Whether your Miranda rights were explained to you: The police are sometimes, but not always required to inform you of your right to remain silent and your right to an attorney. Any criminal defense case in Georgia, including a DUI defense in Atlanta, can be compromised if you incriminate yourself during questioning.
- Statements between you and law enforcement officials before and after your arrest: As part of your DUI defense in Atlanta Georgia, your attorney can often use anything said — or not said — to you that might have coerced you to incriminate yourself during questioning.
- Information about any health conditions: You may have a medical condition that might cause your actions to be incorrectly interpreted as intoxication. If so, it is better to tell your attorney too much, rather than not enough — your DUI defense in Atlanta may depend on a detail that you think is unimportant.
- Preserve any damage done to your vehicle: this is absolutely critical if there is an accident involved. If a vehicle is not photographed or video recorded, and visually inspected for your defense shortly after a collision, potentially useful evidence to defend your case may be lost forever.
How a skilled attorney builds a Successful DUI defense in Georgia
To build a strong DUI defense in Atlanta, GA, your DUI lawyer should start by learning everything possible from the information you present. Based on this information, he or she can find more evidence by using specialized resources as needed to determine if all testing and other details of your arrest were accurate and legal. This determination is the basis for a strong drunken driving defense in Georgia. Chestney & Sullivan has its own in-house investigator that gathers information, videos, 911 calls, possible surveillance videos, police reports, documents road/scene conditions, and more. There are times when we use the services of toxicologists, accident reconstructionists, private investigators, breath test/field sobriety experts, medical professionals, and video illustrators, to name a few, to help build a solid DUI defense in your case. Our firm analyzes a case from the initial stop or reason why the police were involved, looks for suppression issues with the admissibility of field sobriety tests or state chemical tests (breath, blood, or urine tests), and develops strategies on how to best conduct administrative license suspension hearings, preliminary/committal motion hearings, and trial. Our team approach is an effective way to ensure we have covered all the bases in defending your Georgia DUI.
You need an experienced local DUI attorney
If you have been stopped or charged for DUI in Atlanta or the surrounding areas, you need an experienced DUI attorney in Atlanta who knows how to fight these cases. Whether you know you are innocent, or even if you feel you cannot avoid conviction, contact Chestney & Sullivan today at 404-816-8777 for the experienced support you need for your case.