First Offense DUI Charges in DeKalb County

In DeKalb County State Court, the penalties for first time DUI typically include a fine of about $800, plus surcharges, 24 hours in jail, 40 hours of community service, completion of the DUI School, and undergoing an evaluation for drug and alcohol issues and any recommended treatment.

Additionally, individuals can expect that a first time DUI offender will be placed on 12 months of probation. If you are facing drunk driving charges for the first time, a DUI attorney is ready to help you navigate the charges and defend them toward your best potential outcome.

Prosecution of First Time DUI Charges

In DeKalb County, the prosecutors from the Solicitor General’s Office take first time DUI charges very seriously. There is currently a lot of emphasis in DeKalb County on reducing the number of DUI-related fatalities, so the police department is operating more road blocks and looking for impaired drivers. The Solicitor General’s Office is taking each DUI very, very seriously, and a robust defense is critically important.

First Offense Diversion and Probation

DeKalb County currently has no diversion program for DUI charges. The only way that a person charged with a DUI in DeKalb County can go and put their cases as a diversion is if the prosecutors feel that the DUI charge is small enough that they will dismiss it and then allow the diversion for other charges to remain.

As an example, sometimes people may be arrested in possession of marijuana and DUI. If the evidence of the DUI is not strong, the prosecutors will sometimes dismiss that charge and allow the person to go through the diversion program for the marijuana charge, but if the DUI charge remains, there is no diversion program.

Probation is required of all people in DeKalb County who are convicted of DUI.

Court Treatment of First Time DUI Charges

First time DUI charges in DeKalb County are heard in the State Court of DeKalb County. Charges in this court are prosecuted by the DeKalb County Solicitor General.

The courts in DeKalb County take DUI charges very seriously. DeKalb County has set up a DUI court that is designed to focus its attention on people who are repeat DUI offenders, but even first time offenders are treated very seriously. They are required to undergo probation, counseling, community service, fines, and even jail time.

Mistakes to Avoid

The biggest mistake for DUI defendants to make is to think that all cases are the same. Sometimes a person who pled guilty to a first DUI can later find that they are not eligible to get a limited permit or restricted permit to drive and they do not understand why that is.

The reason for this is that there are very many different suspensions that apply to a DUI case in Georgia. There is a suspension for passing over the limit. There is a different suspension for refusing to take the test. There is a different suspension for marijuana versus alcohol. There are different suspensions based on the age of conviction, so it is very important to navigate through these different suspensions in order to keep driving.

When facing first time DUI charges in DeKalb County, it is absolutely essential that you contact a lawyer who knows the DUI laws and knows the license suspension laws.