OVI/ DUI

Montgomery County OVI/DUI Lawyers

What is an OVI?

An OVI/DUI is a very serious charge and there are many different situations and penalties. Our legal team at the Law Offices of Gump & Deal is skilled in Ohio law governing OVI/DUI and has courthouse experience in acting on behalf of drunken driving defendants. DUI under Ohio law is referred to as OVI (“Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated or Impaired”). Under any name, a conviction or even an arrest can affect your life and profession for years.

Ohio drunken driving laws are among the toughest in the country and they have been since the early 1990s. This is a reason people choose to have legal representation when accused of the crime. The consequences you face depend on the circumstances of your DUI/OVI arrest. At Gump & Deal, our OVI/DUI attorneys in Montgomery County can defend clients facing any level of charges and penalties.

Schedule your free initial consultation by calling us at (937) 888-3246 or filling out our online contact form. We can help.

Consequences of an OVI Conviction

You will lose your license if you are convicted of OVI in Ohio. Period. How long your license is revoked depends upon the severity of the details of your arrest. You will lose it immediately if you refuse to take a sobriety test or if the breathalyzer result is higher than the legal limit of .08% blood alcohol level (BAC). Authorities can also take your license plates and they may seize or disable your vehicle.

Because the penalties are so serious, an OVI lawyer is important.

First-time offenders face at least three days in jail, or a three-day alcohol abuse program. The fine can be as much as $1075.

The penalties get worse if it is not your first arrest, up to as much as a month in jail and a $10,000 fine for a 4th conviction. Plus you would be required to surrender the car you drive to the authorities. Some 4th offenders lose their licenses permanently.

The length of driver's license suspension also gets worse. First offenders will lose their driving privileges for 6 months to 3 years; a second conviction carries a 1 to 5-year license suspension. Third offenders face revocation for up to 10 years and 4th-time offenders may not legally drive for at least 3 years and perhaps never again.

However, under certain circumstances, an OVI charge can become elevated to a felony. A person will face a felony charge if they have been convicted of a third or subsequent OVI offense within 10 years of the previous one. Additionally, if a person causes serious physical harm or death to another as a result of driving impaired they may also face felony OVI charges.

Once you have been convicted of a felony OVI, all subsequent drunk or drugged driving convictions will also be considered felonies. Felony convictions carry much harsher punishments than misdemeanors including prison sentences and higher fines.

How Our Montgomery County OVI Attorney Can Help

A Montgomery County OVI/DUI lawyer can represent you in one or both of the cases involved in an OVI arrest: the criminal court case, and the case that goes before the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

How does a lawyer defend against these allegations? Though specifics will vary from case to case, an argument may involve challenging the evidence police gathered. For example, the procedures in which the roadside sobriety tests were applied or the validity of blood alcohol testing may be brought into question by an attorney.

No matter what your circumstances may be, you have a constitutional right to legal representation. Call our team at (937) 888-3246 today to learn more about how we can guide you through this difficult time and move forward.

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