DUI Defense Lawyer in Georgia

You always need a lawyer for a DUI.

At Rohan Law, we understand that being accused of a DUI can be scary. It is a serious charge, and you should seek legal representation from an experienced criminal defense lawyer backed by a law firm you can trust. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a record and penalties that are more severe than they need to be. When you call us, you can expect us to evaluate your case and present you with realistic options based on your unique situation. While being charged with a DUI may leave you feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, please do not give up and plead guilty before calling us. We want to be a safe place for you to turn to when you are accused of a DUI, so if you have questions, reach out right away, and we'll give you a clear read on where you stand. We work to get the best result the facts and the law allow, whether that's a dismissal, a reduced charge, or a strong defense at trial.

What to Do in the First Hours After a DUI Arrest in Georgia

The choices you make right after a DUI arrest can shape the rest of your case.

• Stay calm and polite with the officer, but remember you do not have to answer questions beyond identifying yourself.
• Ask for an attorney right away.
• Hold off on talking about the arrest with anyone, including on social media, until you have one.
• Write down what you remember while it's fresh: the time and location of the stop, which tests you were asked to take, and what the officer said to you.
• Call Rohan Law before your first court date.

The sooner we are involved, the more options we have to protect your license and build your defense.

Pick the Law Firm That Knows How to Fight for You!

Your rights may have been violated when you were pulled over: One of the first things you can expect us to do is to examine why you were pulled over and what your interaction was like with the police officer who issued the citation. Many people do not realize police have very specific rules that they must follow in each interaction, and every individual has certain rights that are legally protected. For example, in Georgia, the police have the right to ask you to take a field sobriety test, but you also have the right to refuse. If your right to refuse a test was not respected and you were forced to take a test against your will, then those results cannot be used against you. You need a law firm that understands what those rights are and a lawyer who can fight for you when your rights are violated. This is the first thread we pull when we start building your defense.

Refusing a Test Doesn't Erase the License Consequences: In Georgia, driving on public roads means you have already agreed to breath, blood, or urine testing if an officer has cause to ask, under what's called implied consent. Refusing field sobriety testing doesn't carry the same consequence as refusing a chemical test, but the two are often confused. If an officer pulls you over, you can stay calm, be polite, and ask for an attorney before you answer questions or agree to any test. But refusing a chemical test carries its own consequence: it can trigger an automatic license suspension that is separate from your criminal case. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-67.1) gives you only 30 calendar days from your arrest date to request a hearing and fight that suspension before it becomes final. The sooner you call us, the more we can do to protect your driving privileges while we fight the underlying charge.

The Evidence Against You Has to Hold Up Too: Officers are required to follow guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Transportation when they administer field sobriety tests, and devices like breathalyzers have to be properly calibrated and maintained. We look closely at the officer's dashcam and bodycam footage, the equipment's maintenance and calibration records, and the paperwork trail that shows your blood or urine sample was handled properly, known as the chain of custody. We also check whether a medical condition could have affected your test results. When the evidence doesn't hold up to scrutiny, that can open the door to getting it excluded or the case reduced.

Your Defense Strategy Should Fit Your Case, Not a Template

No two DUI cases are the same, so we don't build them from a template. Depending on what happened in your case, your defense might center on challenging the traffic stop itself, questioning how the field sobriety or chemical tests were given, negotiating with the prosecutor for a reduced charge, or taking your case to trial. We walk you through what applies to your situation and what the realistic paths forward look like, so you can make an informed decision instead of guessing. We'll lay out what applies to your situation and what the realistic paths forward look like, so you can make an informed decision instead of guessing.

It matters if it's your first time: The penalties for a DUI in Georgia depend on several factors, including whether it's charged as a misdemeanor or felony and how many prior DUI convictions you have within the last 10 years. Georgia counts prior DUI convictions on a 10-year lookback: a second or third DUI within that window carries escalating mandatory penalties, and a fourth DUI within 10 years is charged as a felony, which can mean state prison time (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391). If this is your first DUI, you are not facing that felony-level risk, and first-time cases are sometimes resolved through a negotiated plea to a lesser charge, such as reckless driving, depending on the facts of your stop and the prosecutor handling your case. Georgia law does not allow DUI to be handled under the state's First Offender Act, so an experienced attorney's job is to build the strongest defense available to you directly, not to rely on that option.