Youngstown DUI Lawyer

Legal Counsel for Operating a Vehicle Impaired in Ohio

If you have been arrested on suspicion of DUI or are already facing DUI charges, take immediate action to ensure your rights are protected. You may be facing a range of consequences, such as jail time, the loss of your driver's license, large monetary fines, mandatory alcohol education classes, and the required installation of an ignition interlock system. Do not take on DUI charges alone. Enlist our help at the office of Rhys Brendan Cartwright-Jones.

Rhys is a skilled Youngstown OVI lawyer who is backed by over a decade of experience and zealously stands up for clients facing allegations of drunk driving or driving under the influence. He is also a former prosecutor who worked in Mahoning County. This experience gives him unique insight into how prosecutors handle these types of cases.

What Is the Difference Between OVI and DUI in Ohio?

There are many terms for driving under the influence such as: DUI, DWI, & OMVI. However, in the state of Ohio the term is known as OVI or Operating a Vehicle Impaired. This means having a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher while operating a motorized or non-motorized vehicle. Let us help you fight the moving violation charges you are facing. With more than a decade of experience, our skilled Youngstown OVI attorney can fight to ensure that your rights are upheld from start to finish.

Ohio OVI Penalties

Driver's License Suspension in Ohio

There are a variety of driver's license suspensions in Ohio and most are brought on by a drunk driving arrest. You must take immediate action if you wish to fight your driver's license suspension. It may be possible to secure a restricted license that still allows you to go to work and other necessary travel. A Youngstown OVI attorney from our firm can represent you at the administrative hearing and advise you concerning possible outcomes and how they will impact you.

Challenging Law Enforcement Findings

One part of addressing a DUI arrest is gathering information on the traffic stop and any tests that were performed to establish your blood alcohol level. We use our extensive experience with OVI cases to aggressively fight any violations of your civil rights that may have occurred during the traffic stop. In some cases, we may be able to challenge the reason for the stop in the first place. Also, breath, blood, and urine tests are notoriously unreliable, and we can explore the possibility of false positive results.

What is a habitual offender?

A habitual offender is defined as someone who’s violated certain laws repeatedly over a certain period of time. In Oregon, three convictions over the past five years and those convictions can be for crimes such as:

• DUI (which in Oregon is called DUII, or driving under the influence of intoxicants);
• Driving with a suspended or revoked license;
• Reckless driving; or
• Homicide (including manslaughter, murder, negligent homicide, or vehicular homicide).

However, the number and convictions vary from state to state. So it’s prudent for anyone to check their respective state’s habitual offender laws to be sure.

What are the consequences of being labeled as a habitual offender?

Being labeled as a habitual offender can lead to serious legal ramifications. Among them being:

• License revocation. While a license can be revoked with a single offense, the penalty is harsher with repeated offenses. For example, Oregon will revoke your license for five years if you’re a habitual offender.
• Harsher penalties can vary from state to state, however in many states, being a habitual offender can lead to much harsher sentences. For example, a habitual DUI offender in Florida was sentenced to ten years and ten months in prison for a fatal DUI. Multiple DUIs can also lead to increased fines, vehicle confiscation, or an even longer license revocation period.
• Automatic Felony DUI charges are also a possibility. If you have multiple DUI convictions (or even just one prior DUI in New York), you could automatically face a felony DUI charge if you’re caught driving drunk again.

Discuss Your DUI Case with Our Firm Today

We are equipped to handle your charges in state and federal court, and we can take it to appeals if needed.