How Can An Attorney Help In Defending A DUI/OVI Case In Ohio?
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HOW OFTEN IS THE LAW OFFICE OF BANGERTER ABLE TO HAVE CHARGES, FINES, JAIL TIME OR OTHER PUNISHMENTS REDUCED IN OVI CASES?
Very often. Especially for first time OVIs, there are a number of other options to reduce the case. When addressed proactively, the attorney can get the client involved in some programs. They are very inclined to give them minimum penalties. How can an attorney help in defending a Dui/Ovi case in Ohio?
There is a minimum jail time on OVI, first time OVI is three days but there is a provision where you can attend a driver intervention program which is a weekend in a hotel listening to alcohol awareness classes. That can substitute for jail time, so most often, a first time offender will spend a weekend in a hotel rather than in jail, other than the time they were there when they first got picked up.
There are cases where the law office of Bangerter has been able to negotiate even shorter suspensions or even eliminate that from the final agreement.
Why Is It Important To Hire An Attorney To Represent You In Such A DUI Case? Why Is It Important Versus A Public Defender Or Defending Yourself?
If you defend yourself, you do not have the experience to execute a strong DUI defense, for example, you’re likely not certified in administering the field sobriety test. An attorney can watch the video and see the things that the police officer did wrong administering all those tests. Even if they do them out of compliance with the regulation, then they should not even be able to come in as evidence.
Even if there are other mistakes, you can point those out to the jury and show the jury why the test was invalid because the officer did them wrong. The person defending themselves is not likely to know those details. It also comes with an understanding of the signs behind breath testing itself and there are a number of state mandated procedures that an officer has to follow in order to have a valid test.
Taking another example, the law officer of Bangerter had a case recently where this young lady blew a 0.14%, but one of the regulations is that the officer has to observe the person for twenty minutes before they blow into the machine. Because if they put anything else into their mouth or regurgitate a little or anything like that, it could affect the alcohol level and that throws off the reading in the machine.
They did not do that, they had her sit there for about five minutes then blow into the machine which invalidates the whole test. Because of that, the attorneys got a significant reduction on the case because the breathalyzer test was no good. That is another thing you typically will not be able to when representing yourself.
Do Most OVI Cases Actually Settle Out Of Court Or Do Some Of Them Tend To Go To Trial?
The vast majority settles out of court, and that is true in any area of the law. Only about 5% of cases actually go to trial.
If you are facing a DUI/OVI in Ohio, call the Law Office of Matthew Bangerter for an initial consultation at (440) 306-3205 to start building your DUI defense and get the legal answers you’re seeking.