Cartersville DUI Information
What to know if you've been charged with a Cartersville DUI
Heading home after some fishing and beers at Lake Allatoona and you’re pulled over for speeding. Driving to a friend after some drinks and the game at The Alley and all of the sudden there are blue flashing lights in the rear-view mirror. A couple of drinks at Knights after work and now you’ve got a DUI. Do you need an accomplished, professional Cartersville DUI attorney who is familiar with the Cartersville Municipal and Bartow County State Courts? With 20 years of experience defending DUI arrests, George C. Creal, Jr., P.C., Trial Lawyers is the Real Deal Cartersville, GA DUI Firm. We know the Cartersville Justice system like the back of our hand. We know the Courts, the Judges, the prosecutors, and the Police, and they know that we are ready and willing to fight for every inch of our client's rights. If you need to contact the Cartersville Municipal Court click here.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) training manuals in DUI Detection and Field Sobriety Evaluation instructions are used by police officers all over the State of Georgia. We’ve thoroughly studied these manuals and use our knowledge to establish that DUI evaluations are unreliable, inaccurate, and abused by police officers. We expose the inherent flaws in Georgia DUI investigations in order to prove your innocence. For more information on a strong DUI defense, visit our Cartersville DUI Defense Guide.
Dedicated Cartersville DUI Lawyers Determined to Fight for Your Rights – Aggressive DUI Representation You Deserve
We have handled thousands of DUI cases, had hundreds of DUI arrests reduced to reckless driving and other non-DUI traffic offenses, and tried over one hundred DUI Jury Trials. Unlike many DUI firms, we have valuable Not Guilty Jury Trial Experience. Ask other lawyers about the last time they heard a jury say the words “Not Guilty” in a DUI Trial. You’ll be surprised how so-called “expert DUI lawyers” cannot give you a straight answer.
TEN DUI SECRETS YOU SHOULD KNOW
1. Refusing a Blood or Breath Test is Not an Admission of Guilt: Georgia law only provides for a presumption of the presence of a prohibited substance in your system if you refuse to take a State-Administered Blood or Breath test in a DUI case.
2. If You Refuse the Test You Will NOT Definitely Lose Your License for One Year: …
Hiring a Cartersville DUI Attorney
For Our Firm, Client Communication is Essential
We do not hesitate to give you our office and cell phone numbers, and we are more than glad to explain the intricacies of your DUI defense after we evaluate the police report and video. If you call, text, or email us about your case, we will contact you as soon as possible and never in more than 24 hours. We understand you are anxious about your Cartersville DUI. We represent a diverse group of DUI clients every single day throughout the State of Georgia. We are professionals. Our goal is that at the end of your case you will be comfortable recommending us to friends and relatives. Customer Service is priority one for our firm.
You can meet us in person at our office or we can start your case over the phone or internet. We know you are busy and value your time. We deal with your DUI case so you get your life back. Our first consultation is always free and we will send a DUI ALS hearing request letter for free as long as you pay the Georgia Department of Driver Services’ $150.00 filing fee.
We handle all Georgia DUI cases including those with or without breath test and blood test results, refusals of both blood, breath, or urine, cases with Standardized Field Sobriety Evaluations, and DUI cases with no Field Sobriety exercises. We have handled DUI accidents and DUI fatalities. DUI Drugs, Fleeing and Eluding the police, marijuana possession, felony, and misdemeanor obstruction. There is no set of facts our Cartersville DUI attorneys haven’t seen at least once before. Our DUI defense system is a highly refined and time-tested formula for winning DUI cases. We do not miss critical facts and seize even the most difficult DUI acquittals.
How to Hire a Lawyer for a Cartersville DUI
A Georgia DUI is Serious and Can Result in Fines and Jail Time
Under Georgia law, you can be fined up to $1000.00 plus up to 40% tacked on as court costs. You can spend up to 12 months in jail for a first DUI, do 40 hours of community service, be subject to drug and alcohol testing for one year and serve 12 months of reporting probation. Your license may be suspended anywhere from 120 days to 5 years. Do not try to handle your DUI without an experienced Cartersville DUI attorney.
Advice as to who you decide to hire as your Cartersville 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.
A Cartersville DUI lawyer is standing by. Call or email today, (404) 333-0706 or [email protected], for a FREE CONSULTATION.
Cartersville DUI Court Information
The Cartersville Municipal Court is a court of limited jurisdiction that can hear misdemeanor traffic violations, all misdemeanor city ordinance violations, Shoplifting, Possession of alcohol by a minor, providing alcohol to minors, sale of alcohol to minors, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana, and serious traffic offense like DUI, Reckless Driving and Aggressive Driving. The offense for individuals 16 years and under must be referred to the Bartow County Juvenile Court. The Cartersville Municipal Court can not handle Jury Trials or felony criminal violations.
JUDGE: Harry B. White.
PROSECUTOR: E. Keith Lovell
CLERK: Dorothy Carson
Phone: (770) 607-6307
CLERK OF COURT: Gary Bell
Phone: (770) 387-5025
Fax: (770) 387-5611
The court starts at 4 pm but the Solicitor is usually there by 3 pm to negotiate cases prior to the call of the calendar.
Carterville Muncipal Court:
Cartersville Municipal Court
178 West Main Street
Cartersville, GA
Bartow County Clerk’s Office:
135 W Cherokee Ave
Suite 233
Cartersville, Georgia 30120
Hours of Operation:
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday
Cartersville DUI Court Information
- Obtain a Police and Georgia State Patrol Incident Report:To obtain a Cartersville police report you may mail or submit an open records request via email, by phone, or in person. All open records requests must be picked up in person at the Cartersville Police Department.Mailing Address:
Debra Crane – Open Records Officer
PO Box 1390
Cartersville, GA 30120Phone: 770-607-6308
Email: [email protected]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 30316Phone: (404) 699-4368
- 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 30037-0808Fax: 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 30013The 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.
- 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. - Revisit the Scene of Arrest.
Photograph the scene of the arrest 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. - 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. - 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.
