Smyrna DUI Information
What to know if you've been charged with a Smyrna DUI
Arrested for DUI in Smyrna, Georgia? Need an accomplished, professional DUI attorney familiar with the Smyrna Municipal Court and Cobb County Justice System? With 20 years of experience defending DUI arrests, George C. Creal, Jr., P.C. are the Real Deal Smyrna DUI Attorneys. We know ins and outs of the Smyrna and Cobb County Justice Systems. We know the Courts, the Judges, the Prosecutors, and the Police, and they know we are able and willing to fight for each and every one of our clients’ rights. Smyrna Municipal Court Information.
The first step after a Smyrna DUI arrest is to contact an experienced DUI lawyer. When you call our office one of our support staff will take your basic personal contact information and a few general facts about your DUI arrest. You will then be transferred to an experienced DUI attorney who will review the reason for your traffic stop or initial contact with police, your personal interaction with police, your performance on any DUI field sobriety evaluations, your DUI arrest, and the facts and circumstances surrounding any DUI breath tests or DUI blood tests. The are hundreds of different issues that can arise during these four phases of a DUI arrest than can result in a reduction in charges, dismissal of charges or a not guilty verdict. Remember Drinking and Driving is not a crime unless your are less safe to drive because of the alcohol consumed or register over the legal limit of 0.08 on a legally obtained blood or breath test.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHSTA) training manuals in DUI Detection and Field Sobriety Evaluations are used by Police agencies all over the United States. These manuals are central to how we will evaluate your DUI defense and create a strategy to win your case. We have thoroughly studied these manuals and use our knowledge to establish how DUI evaluations are unreliable, inaccurate, and abused by police. We expose the flaws inherent to Georgia DUI investigations in order to prove your innocence. For more information on a strong DUI defense, visit our Helpful GA DUI Guide.
The consequences of a DUI can range from administrative license suspension to fines, community service, probation, court ordered alcohol treatment and jail time. To avoid an administrative driver’s license suspension you have to request a hearing with a civil administrative driver’s license court. You have 30 calendar days from your date of arrest to request this hearing. In some cases, you may avoid an administrative license suspension by installing a ignition interlock device or alcohol breath testing device on your car on your personal vehicle and subjecting yourself to a Georgia only limited permit for one year. This device requires you to blow into it to start your car and sometimes to keep it operation while driving. This device must be kept on your car for one year regardless of the outcome of your case. You must have the device installed and obtain the permit from the Georgia Department of Driver services within 30 days from arrest.
Your criminal punishment is determined at the Municipal Court. Your first court date in the Smyrna Municipal Court is an arraignment which is a fancy word for reading of criminal charges. You will not be tried or convicted on your first court date. You will simply be informed of your charges, given a list of witnesses and given the opportunity to request the evidence from the prosecution such as police reports, scientific tests and police video footage of your arrest and police investigation. Trials are scheduled after arraignment. You may decide to file criminal motions challenging the legality of your traffic stop, your DUI arrest, and the administration of any DUI tests. You can either negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecutor to DUI with minimum punishment or to a reduced charge from DUI like reckless driving, choose a trial before a Judge only or demand a jury trial. Municipal court can only hear judge trials. All jury trial must be bound over to the Cobb County State Court in Marietta, Georgia.
Hiring a Smyrna DUI Attorney
For Our Firm, Client Communication is Essential
We do not hesitate to give you our office numbers, cell phone numbers, and email address. 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 nervous about your Smyrna DUI arrest, but with our firm you can relax. We represent a diverse group of DUI and traffic clients every single day throughout the State of Georgia and always ensure that our clients receive the care and respect they deserve. Our goal is that at the end of your case you feel confident recommending us to your closest friends and relatives. For our firm, customer service is priority number one.
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 we value your time. We will take care of your DUI case so you can get back to what matters in life: work, friends, and family. Our first consultation is always free and we will send an ALS DUI license hearing request letter for free as long as you pay the Georgia Department of Driver Services’ $150.00 filing fee. In order to request a hearing, these letters must be sent within ten business days of your arrest, so please contact us quickly if you would like us to send a letter.
We handle all Georgia DUI cases including those with or without breath and/or blood test results, refusals of blood, breath or urine, and cases with or without Standardized Field Sobriety Evaluations. We have handled DUI accidents and DUI fatalities, DUI drugs, fleeing and eluding police, marijuana possession, and felony and misdemeanor obstruction. Believe us, there is no set of facts our Smyrna DUI attorneys haven’t seen at least once. Our DUI defense procedure is highly refined and has proven over time to be a formula for success. We do not miss critical facts and seize even the most difficult DUI acquittals.
How to Hire a Lawyer for a Smyrna DUI
An Smyrna DUI is Serious and Can Result in Jail Time, Fines, and Lengthy License Suspensions – DO NOT Try to Represent Yourself
Under Georgia law for a first DUI you can be fined up to $1000.00 with 40% tacked on as court costs, spend up to 12 months, do 40 hours community service, be subject to drug and alcohol testing for one year and serve 12 months of reporting probation. Your license can be suspended anywhere from 120 days to 5 years. Do not try to handle your DUI without an experienced Smyrna DUI attorney.
Advice as to who you decide to hire as your Smyrna 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 Smyrna DUI lawyer is standing by. Call TODAY (404) 333-0706 or email us at [email protected] to for a FREE CONSULTATION.
Smyrna Municipal Court Information
The Municipal Court of Smyrna is the judicial branch of the City of Smyrna. The Smyrna Court Services Division is responsible for processing all traffic citations, DUI arrests, and misdemeanor marijuana violations issued by the Smyrna Police Department. , including ordinance violations issued by Community Development’s Code Enforcement, and preparing dockets and collecting fines and fees. The Court Services Division holds separate sessions for traffic and environmental court citations. The Environmental Court addresses property maintenance, animal control and other environmental degradation cases before the Court Judge. Other Traffic Court sessions are held for various traffic infractions such as speeding tickets. Rountine Traffic tickets can be paid online. Although you must appear in court is you want to plead no contest or have your ticket reduced to save points. Arraignments are held on Mondays at 9:00 am and Thursday at 1:00 pm. Trials are held on the Thursday of the first full week of each month.
Judge: Phyllis Gingery Collins
Solicitor: Tim Williams
Court Clerk: Cardi McManus
SMYRNA, GA 30080
Court Phone: 770-431-2804
Directions to the Municipal Court of Smryna are as follows:
From I-20 or 285 Northbound:
Take I-20 East to Exit 51B (285/Chattanooga/Greenville). Continue on 285 to Exit 16 (Atlanta Road). Take a left at the end of exit ramp and continue North on Atlanta Road to traffic light at West Spring Street. Take a left into the Smyrna Market Village. In the Smyrna Market Village, West Spring Street dead-ends into King Street at the Smyrna Municipal Court located in City Hall.
From Top-End 285 (South/West):
Take I-285 to Exit 18 (Paces Ferry Road/Vinings). Bear right onto Paces Ferry Road. Turn right on to Atlanta Road SE (North bound). Continue North on Atlanta Road to traffic light at West Spring Street. Take a left into the Smyrna Market Village. In the Smyrna Market Village, West Spring Street dead-ends into King Street at the Smyrna Municipal Court located in City Hall.
From I-285 East:
Take exit 19 (Dobbins Air Force Base/Cobb Parkway/US Highway 41). Turn left at the end of the exit ramp onto Cobb Parkway/US 41. Take a left onto Spring Road. Turn right onto Atlanta Road. Continue on Atlanta Road to traffic light at West Spring Street. Take a left into the Smyrna Market Village. In the Smyrna Market Village, West Spring Street dead-ends into King Street at the Smyrna Municipal Court located in City Hall.
From I-75 South:
Take I-75 to Exit 260 (Windy Hill Road). Take a right (West) at the end of the ramp and continue on Windy Hill Road west. Take a left on to Atlanta Road SE (at the railroad overpass). Continue on Atlanta Road to traffic light at West Spring Street. Take a left into the Smyrna Market Village. In the Smyrna Market Village, West Spring Street dead-ends into King Street at the Smyrna Municipal Court located in City Hall.
From I-75 North:
Take I-75 to Exit 260 (Windy Hill Road). Take a left at the end of the ramp and continue on Windy Hill Road. Take a left on to Atlanta Road SE (at the railroad overpass). Continue on Atlanta Road to traffic light at West Spring Street. Take a left into the Smyrna Market Village. In the Smyrna Market Village, West Spring Street dead-ends into King Street at the Smyrna Municipal Court located in City Hall.
Parking
Parking for Smyrna Municipal Court is on West Spring Street in front of City Hall or turn right onto King Street and look for on-street parking, or continue and turn left onto Bank Street and then left into City Hall Parking in the rear of the building.
