Hiring a DUI / OVI Attorney in Ohio

Whether you are involved in your first drunk driving matter or a consecutive incident, it is important to have skilled legal counsel to help you through the process. At the Law Firm of A. Dale Naticchia, we believe that each client deserves diligent, compassionate, and responsive legal counsel when facing a criminal charge and potentially serious penalties for drunk driving. We know how daunting the entire situation can be. Hiring a DUI / OVI attorney in Ohio is just another layer of stress for many individuals, which is why we offer a free consultation so that you can learn about our firm and how we can assist you. Our Cleveland DUI attorneys have substantial experience handling a wide variety of drunk driving matters for individuals throughout Akron and Cuyahoga County.

If you are hiring a criminal defense lawyer, it is important that you understand what the attorney will assist you with during the course of the legal matter. Our firm provides a free initial consultation so that you can learn more about our services and our firm. During the consultation, we will attempt to get as much information about you and your situation as we can so that we understand the charge or charges that you are facing. We will also begin developing a preliminary strategy for approaching your claim, which includes identifying any potential defenses that you may be able to assert. After numerous decades of experience handling criminal defense matters, we believe that each case is different, and requires a unique approach because the facts are never identical between two matters.

During our consultation, we will explain which aspects of your case require additional investigation and the facts or information that we will need in order to achieve your goals. This can be accomplished in part through the discovery process, which is where the defense and prosecution exchange information and evidence regarding the case including dash cam videos, booking videos, breathalyzer records, police reports, and witness statements. Finally, we will review the potential penalties that you are facing as part of the matter so that you understand what the consequences of a conviction could be. Sentencing is a complex process that is governed by statutes in some cases. We will patiently answer your questions about any aspect of this process and your claim to ensure that you understand your situation.

Under Ohio law, the offense of driving under the influence is referred to as operating a vehicle while intoxicated, or OVI for shorthand. Ohio treats OVIs as serious offenses even if it is the first time you are being charged with drunk driving. In general, an individual who is driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more is guilty of OVI. There are many ways that police can go about determining whether you are over the legal limit or impaired. The most common methods are field sobriety tests and breathalyzer tests. If you refuse to submit to the breathalyzer test, you face certain penalties such as having your driver’s license suspended for one year. If you refuse during a second incident within six months of your first refusal, the suspension is extended to two years.

Penalties for OVI convictions range from license suspensions to monetary fines to jail time. The severity of the penalties increases with each subsequent offense that you incur in a ten-year time period. If you are charged with an OVI, there may be certain defenses that apply to your situation to reduce these penalties or to have the matter dropped entirely. If, for example, the police failed to use the appropriate procedures and protocols when administering your breathalyzer test, the results may be flawed and cannot be used against you. This is just one example of the defenses available in OVI claims. Our seasoned defense lawyers can assist you with reviewing your claim.

At the Law Firm of A. Dale Naticchia, we believe that everyone deserves compassionate and zealous legal representation when facing a criminal matter. Although OVIs are probably the most common criminal charge that residents of our state face, it does not make the process any less intimidating or stressful for the defendant when they are in the process of hiring a DUI / OVI attorney in Ohio. With several years of experience handling drunk driving charges, we are ready to help you defend your rights. We serve clients throughout Cleveland, Bedford, Berea, Parma, Rocky River, Stow, Garfield Heights, and Barberton. To schedule your free consultation, call us at 216-520-5297 or contact us online to get stated.