Receiving a DUI or OVI carries serious consequences which may affect your employment opportunities, your housing situation (either as a homebuyer taking out a mortgage or as a tenant), your college admissions if you are a Worthington student facing OVI charges, security clearances, custody, and insurance rates. In Ohio, a skilled Worthington DUI lawyer may be able to get your charge dismissed or your penalties reduced, depending on the circumstances of your case.
As one of the larger, northern suburbs in Franklin County, OH, Worthington is at the center of three major freeways: I-270, I-71, and SR 315. If a police officer suspects you are impaired while driving, usually after observing a traffic violation, he or she may ask you to pull over. If that officer suspects that you have consumed alcohol or drugs, you may be asked to perform a field sobriety test and ultimately receive a DUI / OVI.
An Ohio DUI conviction, also known as an OVI (operating a vehicle under the influence), can have potentially life-changing effects. If you have been charged with an OVI in Worthington or its surrounding areas, contact a Worthington DUI lawyer from Luftman, Heck & Associates today at (614) 500-3836 for help.
What To Expect from a Worthington DUI Lawyer
The Columbus criminal defense team at Luftman, Heck & Associates provide free, initial consultations. Our Worthington DUI attorneys have successfully represented hundreds of clients in Worthington and the greater Columbus area. No matter the severity of your DUI / OVI offense, the attorneys at LHA have helped numerous clients receive the best, possible outcome for their case. In some of their most recent Ohio DUI case successes, clients facing drug-related OVIs or alcohol-related OVIs had their charges amended or dismissed.
If you are facing OVI charges, the Worthington drunk driving lawyers at Luftman, Heck & Associates will carefully review the facts of your case and will speak directly with the officer, prosecutor and the judge when necessary. Facing an OVI conviction can be a terrifying ordeal. You could be facing jail time and steep fines.
Rest assured the Worthington DUI defense lawyers with LHA have helped many clients avoid jail time, reduce their charges or even drop their charges entirely. When you are entering the Ohio legal system, you will want an attorney with a proven track record and the knowledge to defend your case every step of the way.
Questions You Need to Ask Your Attorney
Are you facing charges for DUI in Worthington? If so, make sure to ask your attorney the following:
Do I have to appear at my arraignment?
Within five business days, your Worthington OVI case will be filed and scheduled for arraignment. This also gives you an opportunity to appeal the administrative license suspension.
Having an experienced Columbus DUI lawyer on your side can be helpful. From the start, we can help make this process as easy as possible and improve your legal situation. We typically can appear on your behalf at the arraignment without you having to attend. At that time, we would enter a not guilty plea on your behalf, address the issue of your driver’s license, and request the police report and DVD of your traffic stop.
Can I get my license back?
It depends, but in some cases, we can. The first thing we will do once you hire us is look at BMV Form 2255 to see if there are any errors. If there are errors on the form, it’s possible that your license suspension can be terminated altogether. If there aren’t any errors, we can request a stay of your license suspension, which would return your full license to you while your case is pending. Generally, Worthington Mayor’s Court permits stays of the administrative license suspension so long as the OVI case did not involve an accident and you do not have a negative fact pattern working against you. We will be able to appear on your behalf at the arraignment to request the stay. If granted, you will receive one copy to bring to the BMV in order to get your license back and one to keep with you while driving.
If the BMV Form 2255 and stay are not possible options for you, we would look to negotiate limited driving privileges for you. Typically, this is not a difficult process so long as you are represented by an experienced Columbus DUI lawyer. Limited driving privileges, if granted, will allow you to drive for work, medical, and school reasons. You would be forwarded a blank copy of the Worthington limited driving privilege entry to fill out and return to us. We would then file it on your behalf; if granted, you would be forwarded two certified copies – one to keep in the car at all times while driving and a second to keep as a spare.
Who is the prosecutor?
Karen Sheffer is the prosecuting attorney for Worthington Mayor’s Court DUI cases. She has prosecuted thousands of OVI, criminal, and traffic cases for the City of Worthington over 25 years practicing the law. She will be prosecuting your case from its initiation in arraignment and as long as it stays in Worthington Mayor’s Court.
Do I get to see the police reports?
We will make sure that you have copies of all reports so you can review them yourselves. You will take them home, review them thoroughly, and send us an email with your thoughts. These should include any inconsistencies and your summary of what happened.
Is there a DVD of my traffic stop?
Usually. Most Worthington police cruisers are equipped with a cruiser video system, so provided that you were stopped by a police officer driving one of these cruisers there will be a DVD of your stop. Malfunctioning equipment can also play into a potential lack of DVD.
Typically, DVD footage can be very helpful to us. If police reports are exaggerated or if the field sobriety tests are improperly given to you, this will show. All of our Columbus DUI lawyers are certified in the administration of field sobriety tests. We know exactly what mistakes to look for. We will also provide you with a copy of the DVD.
What outcome can I expect with my Worthington Mayor’s Court DUI case?
If there are issues with the physical evidence for your DUI case, the prosecutor may offer a reduction to a lesser offense. However, this is not guaranteed, and we may seek to transfer your case to Franklin County Municipal Court where it would again go through the criminal court process. At the municipal court level, we are able to conduct a suppression hearing or jury trial if necessary. We know that having options can be important to making the right decision for you, so we also strive to negotiate an offer of a reduced charge when your case moves to municipal court so you have options besides litigation.
Your First DUI Offense in Worthington, OH
Even if it is your first DUI offense, the penalties will still be serious. You could be facing license suspension, community service hours, mandatory alcohol or drug treatment, jail time and fines. The Worthington DUI defense lawyers at LHA know how an OVI or DUI could impact your life. The first time you are arrested and convicted of drunk driving in Ohio, you will receive an Administrative License Suspension (ALS) of 90 days, and up to $1000 in fines.
If you were arrested for a DUI / OVI or other criminal traffic offense in Worthington, your case will likely be handled in Worthington Mayor’s Court, unless it meets an exception or the jurisdiction is changed to Franklin County Municipal Court.
How a Worthington DUI Attorney Can Help
When you’re charged with OVI / DUI, an experienced Columbus criminal defense attorney may be able to help you avoid serious consequences of a DUI conviction. A Worthington DUI lawyer with the right experience handling OVI / DUI cases in Ohio courts will know the what arguments work best and be able to negotiate with prosecutors to try to reduce your charge to one with less serious penalties and that can later be expunged. If the facts and the law are on your side, a lawyer may be able to get your case dismissed.
Need a Worthington DUI Lawyer? Contact Us for Help Today
With the help of an experienced, competent Worthington DUI attorney, you can be assured of understanding all of your legal rights and options and know that your rights will be protected. The criminal defense team at Luftman, Heck & Associates protects rights of people charged with an OVI / DUI on a daily basis and would be honored to do so for you. Contact us today at (614) 500-3836.
