Atlanta DUI Lawyer Information Guide
What to know if you've been charged with an Atlanta DUI
Heading home after a couple of beers at the Braves game and you’re pulled over for speeding. Anniversary Dinner in Buckhead and valet turn off your automatic headlights and you are blowing into a police breathalyzer. A couple of drinks in Little Five Points after a concert and there are blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror. Driving home after dinner with friends in Midtown or having a pitcher of the finest with some old college buddies at Moe’s & Joe’s in Virginia Highlands followed by a greasy burger at the Majestic Diner and now you’ve got a DUI. You must have an experienced, professional DUI attorney who knows his way around the City of Atlanta Municipal Court and Fulton County Justice System. George C. Creal, Jr., P.C., Trial Lawyers are the Real Deal Atlanta DUI Attorneys. To receive information on the Municipal Court, or a Judge or Solicitor, click here but remember anything that you say to anyone other than your retained DUI defense lawyer can be used against you. Check out our phenomenal DUI case results and client reviews by clicking here. For more information on a strong DUI defense, visit our DUI Defense Guide.
Dedicated Atlanta DUI Lawyers Determined to Fight For Your Interests – Aggressive DUI Representation You Deserve
We have handled thousands of Atlanta DUI cases and had hundreds of DUI arrests reduced to reckless driving and other non-DUI traffic offenses. We have won and/or tried countless DUI cases whether through bench or jury trial. Unlike many DUI firms, we have real Not Guilty Jury Trial Experience and case records to prove it. We will not hesitate to give you our office and cell phone numbers. If you call, text, or email us about your case, we contact you as soon as possible and never in more than 24 hours. Whether the case calls for trial, no trial, rehabilitation, or minimized punishment, we always, always, keep your interests in mind. We understand you are nervous about your DUI arrest. We will take care of your DUI case so you can focus on what matters in life. For our firm, Customer Service is priority one. Call, email us or start a free case evaluation 24 Hours a Day/ 7 days a week.
PULLED OVER AND SUSPECTED OF DUI?
If it’s the First Time or Next Time, it’s Always Good to be Prepared. Even if you’re not technically DUI, if there is an odor of alcohol on your breath you are likely to be arrested and taken to jail. If the police cannot arrest you for DUI per se (blowing over 0.08), they’ll most likely arrest you for DUI less safe: blowing under the legal limit, but being “less safe” to drive because of the presence of alcohol or drugs.
Hiring a Atlanta DUI Attorney
For Our Firm, Client Communication is Essential
We’ve handled all types of Georgia DUI cases including, but not limited to, those with or without breath and/or blood test results, refusals of blood, breath or urine tests, with and without Standardized Field Sobriety Evaluations; even golf cart DUIs and marijuana arrests. We have handled DUI accidents and fatalities, DUI drugs, fleeing and eluding the police, marijuana possession, illegal drug searches, and felony and misdemeanor obstruction. There is no set of facts our Atlanta DUI lawyers haven’t seen at least once. Our DUI case procedure is a methodical and thorough process that leaves no stone unturned and has the potential to win any type of drunk driving case.
How to Hire a Lawyer for a Atlanta DUI
An Atlanta DUI is Serious and May Include Serious Jail Time:
Even for a 1st DUI, you can be fined up to $1000.00 plus up to 40% tacked on as court costs and can spend up to 12 months in jail, 40 hours of community service, drug, and alcohol testing for one year, and 12 months of reporting probation. Your license can be suspended anywhere from 120 days to 5 years. Do not try to handle your DUI alone.
Advice as to who you decide to hire as your Atlanta DUI lawyer: 1) Don’t hire a DUI lawyer based solely on price. Sometimes the cheapest lawyer–especially if they plea you to a DUI you don’t deserve at the first opportunity–can be the most expensive. Cost per hour is the best way to compare lawyers. If a lawyer charges $1000, but only spends an hour on your case, that’s $1000 dollars an hour! We, unlike bargain basement firms, spend an average of 10 hours on every DUI case 2) Ask any attorney that you speak with whether he/she has tried any DUI jury trials and how many not guilty verdicts he/she has received in the past 2 years; 3) Ask any attorney that you speak with whether he/she has studied police field sobriety training manuals and breath test machine, owner’s and area supervisor’s manuals. If not, they cannot adequately cross-examine DUI police officers or breath test operators. A DUI lawyer who can’t answer these questions is not ready for a real DUI jury trial and is not worth your time and money.
An Atlanta DUI lawyer is standing by. Call TODAY (404) 333-0706, or email us at [email protected] or Contact Us Online to review your case.
Atlanta Municipal Court Information
DUI arrests in the City are sent to the Municipal Court. The Municipal Court is a court of limited jurisdiction and can not handle jury trials. Requests for jury trials must be sent to either the Fulton County State Court or DeKalb County State Court.
The Atlanta Municipal Court has a special DUI court division. All DUI arrests are processed through the DUI Division. Most court appearances are at 8:00 A.M. but some are scheduled for 3:00 P.M. Most people accused of DUI in Atlanta will be scheduled for an arraignment date the next morning-evening if they bond out of the Atlanta Detention Center. The DUI Court Division of the Municipal Court requires that DUI cases be either set for a Judge Trial, Plead out, or Bound over for a Jury Trial within 180 days from arrest with some exceptions. There are three types of Court dates Status, Inquiry, and Final Plea. All Clients are required to appear at Final Plea dates but if you have a lawyer and the lawyer had filed an entry of appearance with the clerk, then the client is excused from Status and Inquiry dates.
Office Hours
For Payments
Monday- Friday 8:00 a.m – 4:00 p.m.
Court
150 Garnett Street
Atlanta., GA 30303
Phone: (404) 658-6940
Email: [email protected]
The Atlanta Municipal Courthouse:
150 Garnett Street
Atlanta., GA 30303
Phone: (404) 658-6940
Email: [email protected]
The Judges in the Municipal Court, generally, are:
- Honorable Calvin S. Graves
- Honorable Gary E. Jackson
- Honorable Crystal A. Gaines
- Honorable Christopher E. Ward
- Honorable Terrinee L. Gundy
- Honorable JaDawnya C. Baker
- Honorable Christopher T. Portis
- Honorable Ardra L. Bey
- Honorable Teresa A. Mann
However, generally speaking, Municipal Court assigns one Judge to handle all the DUI Cases. DUI arrests are generally made by the APD DUI Task Force or the Nighthawks Unit of the Georgia State Patrol. The court is held Monday through Thursday beginning at 9 A.M for pleas and 11 A.M. for status hearings.
The Municipal Court DUI Court Staff:
Judge – Hon. Terrinee L. Gundy
Prosecutors:
- Luther Dennis A – L
- Hala Carey M – Z
The Office of the Solicitor General is located at:
Municipal Court
City Court Building
City Solicitor’s Office
3rd Floor
150 Garnett Street, SW
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Telephone: 404.658.6618
Fax: 404.658.7956
Jury trials are held at Fulton County State Court:
Justice Center Tower
185 Central Avenue
Atlanta., Georgia 30303
Phone: (404) 613-5002
COURT ADMIN: Donald Talley
Phone: (404) 613-4245
Email: [email protected]
CHIEF CLERK: Donald Talley
Phone:(404) 613-4245
Email: [email protected]
Justice Center Tower
185 Central Avenue
Suite TG800
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
CHIEF JUDGE: Patsy Y. Porter – Division B
Courtroom 2D
Phone: (404) 613-4345
JUDGE: John R. Mather – Division G
Courtroom 2E
Phone: (404) 613-5177
JUDGE: Eric Richardson – Division F
Courtroom 3C
Phone: (404) 613-4508
JUDGE: Jane Morrison – Division E
Courtroom 2F
Phone: (404) 613-4311
JUDGE: Myra H. Dixon – Division C
Courtroom 3A
Phone: (404) 613-4295
JUDGE: Diane E. Bessen – Division J
Courtroom 3D
Phone: (404) 613-7760
JUDGE: Fred C. Eady – Division Y
Courtroom 3B
Phone: (404) 613-5410
JUDGE: Susan E. Edlein – Division D
Courtroom 2A
Phone: (404) 613-0490
JUDGE: Jay M. Roth – Division A
Courtroom 3F
Phone: (404) 613-4330
JUDGE: Wesley B. Tailor – Division H
Courtroom 3C
Phone: (404) 613-4497
The Fulton County Solicitor’s Office:
160 Pryor St
Suite J-301
Atlanta., GA 30303
SOLICITOR GENERAL: Keith Gammage
Phone: (404) 612-4800
Important Steps for a Proper DUI Defense:
1. Obtain a Police and Georgia State Patrol Incident Report:
To obtain an Atlanta police report you may call (404) 546-7461, fax or mail open records request, or fill out and submit an electronic records request. The open records contact information is:
Email: [email protected]
Fax: (404) 546-8200
Mailing Address:
Atlanta Police Department / Open Records
226 Peachtree St. SW
Atlanta., Ga 30303
Incident reports may also be obtained in person at the Atlanta Public Records Department located at the address above.
Incident Reports from the Georgia State Patrol can be obtained in person or requested via:
Georgia State Patrol
959 E Confederate Ave Se
Atlanta., GA 30316
(404) 699-4368
2. Obtain Your Criminal and Driving History:
A seven-year driving history from the Georgia State Patrol and a criminal history record from the Georgia Criminal Information Center (GCIC) is important in deciding on an appropriate defense strategy.
For further information regarding GCIC, contact:
Georgia Crime Information Center
CCH/Identification Services
P.O. Box 370808
Decatur, Georgia 30037-0808
Fax: 404-270-8417
Email: [email protected] for questions regarding criminal history updates/modifications. Or [email protected] for questions regarding employment, licensing visa (travel), or any other non-criminal justice purpose.
Telephone Helpline:
- Option 1: Criminal History Inquiries regarding Expungement or Updates.
- Option 2: Applicant Background Information
- Option 3: Attorney or Public Defender
- Option 4: Livescan or Identification Inquiries
- Option 5: Internet Felon Criminal History
You can obtain a Seven Year Driving History from the Georgia Department of Driver Services online, in person, or by mail. A seven-year driving history costs $8.00.
Proper identification is required. If obtaining a motor vehicle record other than your own, the following is required:
- A signed authorization from the licensee naming the person authorized to receive the record. Form DDS-18(Request for Motor Vehicle Record [MVR]), is available for this purpose but is not required.
- The authorization form or letter must be original. Faxes or copies are not acceptable.
- The full name, date of birth, and Georgia driver’s license number of the licensee.
- The person receiving the report for another individual must show proper identification.
By Mail: You can obtain a copy of your Driving History (MVR) by submitting a letter (or Form DDS-18) requesting a 7-year MVR. The request should include the following:
- Your full name as it appears on your driver’s license
- Driver’s license number
- Date of birth
- Complete mailing address
- Self-addressed, stamped envelope
To obtain a copy of a Driving History (MVR) for someone else, please complete Form DDS-18 with all required signatures and information. Requests may be mailed to:
Georgia Department of Driver Services
MVR Request
Post Office Box 80447
Conyers, Georgia 30013
The fee is $6.00 for a 3-year history and $8.00 for a 7-year history. You may pay by personal or business check, money order, cashier’s check, or credit card. DDS accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express by mail. If paying by credit card and include with your request: Credit Card Authorization Form, Checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks should be made payable to the Department of Driver Services.
3. Attend DUI School
For first-time offenders, it is a good idea to attend DUI school. A DUI school certificate can be useful in the circumstances of an administrative license suspension. For repeat offenders, immediately attend and document Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and obtain a drug and alcohol evaluation from a qualified psychologist. Information concerning Georgia DUI alcohol and drug evaluations and how to set up an appointment for an evaluation can be found here: http://www.atlantapsych.com/article/georgia-dui-law. Our firm Recommends Darrell Grizzle, Ed. S. He provides all the required drug and alcohol evaluations at reasonable rates.
4. Revisit the Scene of Arrest.
Photograph the scene of the arrest in order to discover discrepancies in the police report regarding the initial stop and the reasonableness of the field evaluations like the one-leg stand and walk and turn.
5. Request a hearing with the Department of Driver Services:
Requesting a hearing with the Department of Driver Services within ten business days of the arrest may prevent an administrative license suspension. We will prepare and send a license letter to the Department of Driver Services free of charge ($150 DDS processing fee not included) even if you do not retain our firm.
6. Hire a DUI Lawyer:
Hire an experienced Georgia DUI lawyer. Never attempt self-representation in a DUI case. Georgia DUI law is very complicated, and to ensure a positive case result, is best left to experienced, professional lawyers.
Atlanta DUI Lawyer FAQ:
