» Criminal Defense Lawyer in Pickerington, OH » OVI Lawyer in Pickerington, OH » First Offense OVI Lawyer in Pickerington, OH
Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs (OVI) is a criminal offense that affects your reputation, freedoms, and driving privileges. Legal representation from an experienced Pickerington first offense OVI lawyer can be an important resource in defending your rights during the criminal proceedings.
My goal is to help clients understand the reality of their case with open and honest communication. I want to answer all your questions and give you the counsel needed to resolve the case with your interests in mind. Learn more below about how I can help you as an OVI defense attorney. Contact my office today to schedule a free case consultation.
The Ohio Revised Code § 4511.19 prohibits operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A person over the age of 21 violates this law by registering an alcohol concentration that meets or exceeds the following thresholds:
A first offense OVI charge can also result from operating a vehicle while under the influence of certain drugs, including amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, L.S.D., and marijuana. Any concentration of these controlled substances that meets or exceeds the limits outlined in § 4511.19 is sufficient to receive an OVI charge.
Law enforcement may request or use a variety of methods to measure a person’s intoxication level upon a traffic stop for suspicion of driving impaired. Less precise measures of a person’s intoxication will include observations from field sobriety tests, such as walking, one-legged standing, horizontal gaze, and others. An officer may also check alcohol and drug concentration levels with a breathalyzer, blood, and urine tests to obtain a more precise measure.
You have the right to legal representation after an arrest for a first offense OVI in Pickerington. It is important to demand the presence of your lawyer after an arrest and to withhold any further communication with law enforcement until you can meet with your attorney. Your options for resolving a first-time OVI charge will depend on the circumstances of your arrest and the prosecution’s evidence against you.
The process for OVI offenses is similar to other criminal cases. You must decide how you would like to respond to the charges by entering a plea of guilty or not guilty to the court. This is an important decision that can impact how the case will resolve and the court’s use of discretion in future sentencing. There may be an opportunity to challenge an OVI charge based on how law enforcement managed the traffic stop and arrest or gather evidence against you. I can review the case file for possible infringements of your rights and file the appropriate motions to protect those rights in court.
Hiring a Pickerington first offense OVI lawyer can also be beneficial in advocating for your interests during sentencing. A person’s first conviction for OVI is punishable as a first-degree misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum of three days in jail that a court could extend up to six months. The court also has the discretion to use alternative sentencing methods, such as placement in a community control sanction under Code § 2020.25.
For example, the court could lessen the amount of jail time but require participation in a drivers’ intervention program and other education courses. The penalty for an OVI will also include a suspension or limitation of your driving privileges in addition to a monetary fine. I can look to keep you out of jail and instead focus on intervention programs.
Even if this is your first time getting busted for drunk driving, the consequences do not have to ruin your life. As a Pickerington first offense OVI lawyer, I can help you understand the issues in your case so you can make informed decisions for defending yourself in court. Contact my office today to schedule a free case consultation with a criminal defense attorney.
Client was accused of being under the influence of narcotics. Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) was successfully challenged.
A young college student was stopped for speeding on Stimpson Ave. The Ohio State Patrol Officer administered field sobriety tests and placed the Client under arrest. The Client agreed to take a breath test and “blew” a .16. In reviewing the OSP video tape of field sobriety tests, Andrew found that the Trooper had unfairly graded the Client. Andrew was able to negotiate a reduced charge based on his client’s performance on the field sobriety tests.
Client was charged with OVI on the basis of being under influence of narcotics. The Officer who made the traffic stop was a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and the OVI charge was based solely on the Officer’s opinion as a DRE. Andrew’s cross-examination of the Officer at a suppression hearing revealed that the Officer’s opinion’s were based on flawed assumptions. The case was dismissed.
The client was charged with an OVI, facing a significant license suspension and fine. Their charge was negotiated to physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated, which carried a much more lenient sentence.
Client was charged with Operating a Vehicle while Impaired, a misdemeanor. Attorney Andrew Stevenson negotiated their participation in a Driver Intervention Program, preventing a conviction and a permanent criminal record.
Client was charged with a felony OVI while possessing a firearm. If convicted, they could be sentenced to a maximum of 30 months in jail, plus additional sentencing for the weapon enhancement. Attorney Andrew Stevenson negotiated a diversion in the case, reducing the charge to reckless operation of a vehicle while possessing criminal tools.
Client was charged with OVI and had a prior OVI conviction from 15 years earlier, outside Ohio’s 10-year lookback window. Attorney Andrew Stevenson negotiated the case to a Driver Intervention Program rather than a second OVI conviction.
Client was charged with an OVI, a charge that carries mandatory jail time, license suspension, and a permanent mark on their driving record. Attorney Andrew Stevenson negotiated with the prosecution to secure a reduction. The OVI charge was amended, and our client was able to complete a Driver Intervention Program in lieu of an OVI conviction avoiding jail time, protecting their license, and keeping an OVI off their permanent record.
Attorney Andrew Stevenson represented a client charged with Operating a Vehicle Impaired. After reviewing the case and negotiating with the prosecution, the charge was resolved through a Driver Intervention Program rather than an OVI conviction.
Attorney Andrew Stevenson secured a favorable outcome for his client charged with misdemeanor OVI by successfully negotiating a reduction to reckless operation. The result allowed the client to avoid an OVI conviction and the significant long-term consequences that accompany it.
Attorney Andrew Stevenson’s client was charged with OVI, an offense that can carry up to six months in jail, fines up to $1,075, and a license suspension of as long as three years. Stevenson worked out a resolution placing the client in a Driver Intervention Program in place of jail, and clearing the charge from their record.
A client facing an OVI charge retained Attorney Andrew Stevenson. After review and negotiation with the prosecutor, the OVI was reduced to a Reckless Operation offense avoiding mandatory jail time, a license suspension of up to three years, and a permanent OVI on the client’s record.
Client faced a first-offense misdemeanor OVI and the mandatory penalties that come with it: three days in jail, fines up to $1,075, and a one-to-three-year license suspension. Attorney Andrew Stevenson got the charge reduced to Reckless Operation carrying no jail time and a maximum fine of $150.
The client was charged with failure to comply with a police officer’s signal, OVI, and two counts of failure to stop after an accident, facing up to five and a half years in prison. The client pled to the indictment as charged, yet Andrew Stevenson’s sentencing advocacy still secured probation and kept the client out of prison entirely.
The client came to the firm facing aggravated vehicular assault, OVI, failure to stop after an accident, and driving under suspension potentially taking on up to 14 years in prison, with the aggravated vehicular assault count carrying mandatory prison time. Attorney Andrew Stevenson resolved the entire case to a single minor misdemeanor with only a fine, no jail, and no felony conviction.
Client faced both an OVI count and a paired unlawful-alcohol-concentration charge, along with the mandatory jail time a first-offense OVI conviction carries. Attorney Andrew Stevenson resolved the case to a single OVI plea served through Ohio’s 72-hour Driver Intervention Program (no jail), with the unlawful-alcohol-concentration count dismissed.
A .230 BAC reading combined with a prior OVI conviction brought the client a second-offense high-tier charge, carrying a mandatory minimum of 20 days in jail, license suspension of up to seven years, and 90 days of vehicle immobilization. Andrew Stevenson negotiated the case down to a first-offense OVI, eliminating the second-offense mandatory minimums and the harsher license and vehicle consequences.
A clients first-offense misdemeanor OVI carries a mandatory three days in jail, fines up to $1,075, and a license suspension for one to three years. Attorney Andrew Stevenson got his client’s case dismissed.
Client was charged with first-offense misdemeanor OVI, an offense carrying a mandatory three days in jail, fines up to $1,075, and a license suspension of one to three years. Stevenson got the charge reduced to Underage OVI (OVUAC), a fourth-degree misdemeanor with no mandatory jail time, fines up to $250, and a license suspension of 90 days to two years.