Baldwin, GA DUI Defense
We represent clients charged with DUI in Baldwin Municipal Court. Baldwin Municipal Court is located in the Baldwin City Hall Office in downtown Baldwin, GA.
For a free consultation regarding your Baldwin Municipal Court DUI, give us a call:
770-530-1164
You may also submit on online case inquiry form HERE
For a free consultation regarding your Baldwin Municipal Court DUI, give us a call:
770-530-1164
You may also submit on online case inquiry form HERE
Critical steps to take after being arrested for DUI in the City of Baldwin and the State of Georgia
1) If you have a DUI case in the Baldwin Municipal Court, you need to speak with a DUI-specific attorney that knows what you need to do in your case and the steps you need to take. Your attorney should be able to explain all of your options with regards to your case and your driver's license.
2) Potentially the first deadline or time-sensitive issue you will have is whether or not you need to send in a 30-day letter to appeal any administrative suspension of your license, or request a limited permit with an ignition interlock device. By sending this letter along with a fee of $150, you are waiving your right to an ignition interlock device limited permit (if that was available to you) and requesting a hearing to challenge the administrative suspension of your license. Depending on the specific facts of your case, one or the other of these two options may be more beneficial than the other. You can read a detailed analysis of these procedures and options HERE.
3) Arraignment or first court appearance
The next step in your case will likely be your first court appearance which will be your arraignment hearing. The purpose of your arraignment is hearing is for you to have your charges formally read aloud to you in court and for you to determine which type of plea you would like to enter: guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere. If you retain a lawyer, he/she may waive your arraignment and file discovery requests of which the responses should contain the formal charging documents that will show exactly what crimes you have been charged with. Your arraignment is also frequently an opportunity to discuss the merits of your case with the Court and attempt to come to a desirable resolution. Frequently, there are evidence issues that need to be reviewed and mitigation efforts that need to be made by your client prior to arraignment. For this reason, it is important to have a lawyer retained prior to your arraignment date.
4) Motions Hearings
The purpose of motion hearings in DUI cases is usually to suppress any illegal or unconstitutional evidence in your case. If any of the evidence was illegally obtained or if the officer did not perform the field sobriety tests in the correct manner, the evidence or results of these tests may be inadmissible in any future trial of your case. In Georgia, you are NOT required to perform field sobriety testing and your refusal to submit to those tests may NOT be offered into evidence against you at trial. Motion hearings in criminal cases are recorded and a transcript of the hearing may be useful for cross-examining any witnesses on any changes in their story at trial.
5) Case continues to conclusion
After motions, your case may proceed in several different directions. You may enter a plea to your original charges or reduced charges, or demand a jury trial or bench trial. Your lawyer will be able to help you determine which option he/she believes will result in the best outcome in your case based on the law and facts. It is always your decision as to whether or not you want to enter a plea in your case or proceed to have a bench or jury trial. If you would like to proceed to a jury trial for your City of Baldwin DUI case, then your attorney will need to file a jury trial demand or bind your case over to the State Court of Habersham County. The State Court of Habersham County is where all misdemeanor jury trials are conducted for offenses that occur in all of Habersham County.
1) If you have a DUI case in the Baldwin Municipal Court, you need to speak with a DUI-specific attorney that knows what you need to do in your case and the steps you need to take. Your attorney should be able to explain all of your options with regards to your case and your driver's license.
2) Potentially the first deadline or time-sensitive issue you will have is whether or not you need to send in a 30-day letter to appeal any administrative suspension of your license, or request a limited permit with an ignition interlock device. By sending this letter along with a fee of $150, you are waiving your right to an ignition interlock device limited permit (if that was available to you) and requesting a hearing to challenge the administrative suspension of your license. Depending on the specific facts of your case, one or the other of these two options may be more beneficial than the other. You can read a detailed analysis of these procedures and options HERE.
3) Arraignment or first court appearance
The next step in your case will likely be your first court appearance which will be your arraignment hearing. The purpose of your arraignment is hearing is for you to have your charges formally read aloud to you in court and for you to determine which type of plea you would like to enter: guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere. If you retain a lawyer, he/she may waive your arraignment and file discovery requests of which the responses should contain the formal charging documents that will show exactly what crimes you have been charged with. Your arraignment is also frequently an opportunity to discuss the merits of your case with the Court and attempt to come to a desirable resolution. Frequently, there are evidence issues that need to be reviewed and mitigation efforts that need to be made by your client prior to arraignment. For this reason, it is important to have a lawyer retained prior to your arraignment date.
4) Motions Hearings
The purpose of motion hearings in DUI cases is usually to suppress any illegal or unconstitutional evidence in your case. If any of the evidence was illegally obtained or if the officer did not perform the field sobriety tests in the correct manner, the evidence or results of these tests may be inadmissible in any future trial of your case. In Georgia, you are NOT required to perform field sobriety testing and your refusal to submit to those tests may NOT be offered into evidence against you at trial. Motion hearings in criminal cases are recorded and a transcript of the hearing may be useful for cross-examining any witnesses on any changes in their story at trial.
5) Case continues to conclusion
After motions, your case may proceed in several different directions. You may enter a plea to your original charges or reduced charges, or demand a jury trial or bench trial. Your lawyer will be able to help you determine which option he/she believes will result in the best outcome in your case based on the law and facts. It is always your decision as to whether or not you want to enter a plea in your case or proceed to have a bench or jury trial. If you would like to proceed to a jury trial for your City of Baldwin DUI case, then your attorney will need to file a jury trial demand or bind your case over to the State Court of Habersham County. The State Court of Habersham County is where all misdemeanor jury trials are conducted for offenses that occur in all of Habersham County.
Map to the CIty of Baldwin Municipal Court located at:
186 US-441 Baldwin, GA 30511 |
