Code Sections. Here are some legal defenses that may apply to your case. This saved our client from jail, points to her license, a lengthy license suspension, and the impact to her job. When the police charge you with OVI, you will face charges that range from a Class 4 misdemeanor to a 3rd-degree felony, depending on the circumstances of your arrest and your prior criminal history. As a result, the OVI charges were dismissed with our client entering a plea to a non-moving citation instead. This includes a DUI or an OVI arrest. In the end, the OVI was dismissed with a plea to a non-moving violation. First offense: up to 6 months in jail, up to 5 years probation, fine of up to $1,075. Our client found himself charged with an OVI after he was stopped for "weaving." As such, any DUI conviction will stay on your criminal record for the rest of your life. A driver can be convicted of a per se alcohol OVI without proof of actual impairmenta BAC that's above the legal limit is enough. Request a pretrial. The administrative suspension occurs when you have a BAC over the legal limit or you refused to take a chemical test of your breath, blood or urine. Leveraging this evidence, we obtained a complete dismissal of the OVI charges with our client merely pleading to the tinted windows citation with a fine of $10.00. Pretrial diversion is available for individuals who are first-time offenders or non-violent offenders. They had to pay Ohio $475, because Ohio sent to Texas a block on their license. Thank you!" OVI charges dismissed against our client, saving them from a license suspension, points to their license and high fines. A lawfully prescribed medication or over-the-counter medication. As a result of raising those arguments and through negotiations, an agreement was reached to dismiss the OVI charges, with our client pleading to a non-moving citation and simple traffic ticket instead. As a result, his CDL was also protected. After a head-on accident, our client was transported to the hospital. As a result, our client accepted an offer to reduce the OVI to a traffic citation to avoid a year-long license suspension, high points and high fines. It was soon discovered that the police did not have or provide video referenced in the police report. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. At your arraignment, you must enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. The potential challenges, however, get more specific to OVI issues. They were meticulous and extremely experienced in helping to turn the situation around. This saved her from points to her license, the impact to her auto insurance, from a year-long license suspension and from having to attend the driver's intervention program. After an argument erupted between our client and his girlfriend, he found himself charged with domestic violence. A DUI can be a negative charge to have on your permanent criminal record. After raising issues about the State's failure to preserve all video and evidentiary issues - including about who was operating the vehicle - an agreement was reached dismissing the charges. For a first conviction, you will receive a fine of between $375 and $1,075. Anytime i had a question it was answered so that i could understand it. Call a skilled criminal defense attorney for advice on possible legal defenses to your OVI charge. Our client was stopped for a marked lanes violation. No lawyer in Ohio has more specialized OVI training than Tim Huey. Thanks so much Brian for your professionalism and you eagerness to go the extra mile. There is a chance the court will allow them to complete a 3-day driver intervention program instead of going to jail. Our client was involved in a minor traffic accident. The first step to beating a DUI charge is to obtain an attorney who regularly and successfully practices DUI defense. . By investigating the breath tests being used against our client, we discovered that the breathalyzer that was used was not properly maintained and calibrated. Through a thorough evaluation of the urine test results and raising issues with the tests, we were able to obtain a complete dismissal of all OVI charges against our client. When we investigated the case, we found a lack of evidence to support the charges, in part because the field sobriety tests the state was relying upon were conducted in a snow storm and were therefore unreliable. If your license has been suspended in Ohio but you don't actually live there, you can petition for limited driving privileges at either the Franklin County Municipal Court or the court in charge of the area where the incident occurred. It defines OVI and sets out the per se limits of alcohol, drugs, and drug metabolites than can be present in a person's breath, blood, or urine before they are considered "impaired". As a result, he was saved from points to his license and a year-long license suspension. This saved our client from up to six-months in jail, up to a $1,000.00 fine, the impact to his criminal record and potential loss of his job. This saved her from high points on her license, an OVI on her record, and she walked out of court with her license and no suspension. We'll help you understand your options and aggressively pursue the best possible outcome. For a CDL driver, such as our client, this triggers a one-year disqualification of the CDL for a first, and lifetime disqualification for a second. After our client was charged with an OVI, we obtained a copy of the police reports and videos that showed very few signs of impairment. Here is what I told her: Once New York receives notification of the out of state Ohio DUI license suspension, the New York Bureau of Motor Vehicles will send formal notification to her explaining the she is subject to a DUI license suspension. Given without proper and required instructions. Depending on the circumstances, OVI in Ohio is classified as either a misdemeanor or a felony offense. Our client was charged with assault and unlawful restraint. If you are taken into custody, these rights are supposed to be read to you in a Miranda warning, informing you of your right to remain silent and right to an attorney. I was blindsided by separation at my former employment and then denied unemployment benefits as well. American Bar Association: How Courts Work: Steps in a Trial: Discovery, Ohio Revised Code: 4511.191 Implied Consent, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST). Hiring a DUI defense attorney could help you reduce OVI charges to physical control or reckless operation charges. If you have been charged with an OVI (operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs), contact us today for a free consultation to discuss how we can protect your record, your license and your rights. DrivingLaws by Nolo: What Plea Options Do I Have for an OVI in Ohio? All rights reserved. Your attorney may be able to work with the prosecutor to secure a spot in one of these programs. Request discovery. Ohio law recognizes both OVI and DUI charges though, If you've been charged with driving under the influence (DUI), it means that you've allegedly been found to have driven with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher (or 0.2 percent if you're under 21). Your attorney will attempt to reduce your penalties as much as possible under the law. Requesting discovery, which is the process of exchanging information regarding the evidence and witnesses each legal team will offer at the trial, per the American Bar Association, may increase the defense's chances of success, as the legal counsel can then identify specific areas to challenge. Wish these guys the best in the future! OVI Charges Dismissed - Saving Military Career: By raising issues with respect to a traffic stop, we were able to reach an agreement that avoided an OVI charge or any alcohol related charge, which would have caused our client a great deal of concern with his military career and security clearances. If you are not convicted of the crime, the circumstances do not matter, as you are innocent until proven guiltyand you were not. There are several possible ways in which you can go about defending yourself against the OVI charges against you. Under existing Ohio law, the court must, (in addition to imposing jail time or ordering participation in a driver intervention program) suspend the license of anyone convicted of an OVI violation. Our client was charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor assault after an altercation at a store. DUI Diversion Programs in Ohio All field sobriety tests in the state must be the standardized field tests described in the most recent version of the DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing manual (or SFST) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and they must be conducted in accordance with the protocols laid out therein. Our client was charged with an OVI after a car accident. Our client and agreed and the case was resolved in his favor. We raised arguments, pointing out that many clues of impairment were missing. Study the discovery responses for areas to challenge. Outside of criminal consequences, the charge will appear on a person's permanent record, available for future employers and schools to view. Although our client was charged with an OVI after a traffic stop and providing a breath test that was over the limit, we reached an agreed to dismiss the OVI charges with our client pleading to traffic citations instead. Because a more recent change in Ohio law removed the requirement that a vehicle must be "motorized," the current acronym that refers to driving under the influence is "OVI" (Operating a Vehicle Impaired). After our client was charged with a second OVI in ten years, with enhanced penalties due to a refusal to submit to a breath test, we provided an aggressive defense by demanding all reports, videos and documentation and used that evidence to craft a suppression motion detailing significant issues with the State's case. Once you complete the program, your record will be cleared, and you could move forward with your life. We prevailed in showing that an OVI conviction requires actual movement of the vehicle, which did not happen in this case. As a result, an agreement was reached to dismiss the OVI charges. How serious is a DUI? Ultimately, an agreement was reached to dismiss the OVI charges with our client pleading instead to a non-moving traffic citation. Not only does it carry potential jail time and fines, but the charge goes on your criminal record. They were very thorough & easy to talk with. After pursuing a suppression motion laying out the legal deficiencies of the traffic stop and lack of evidence for the charges, an agreement was reached to dismiss both the speeding ticket and the OVI with our client pleading to a minor misdemeanor traffic citation with a minimal fine and no license suspension. THC in the amount of 2 ng/ml milliliter in blood; 10 ng/ml in urine. CDL's are disqualified for one-year after a first-time OVI and for life after a second-time OVI. I was also extremely prepared and ready before we went to court. If you have recently been arrested for an OVI charge in Ohio, it is essential to understand . That could be cut in half if the court allows driving privileges using an ignition interlock device.