DUI vs OVI in Ohio
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DUI “Driving under the influence” is a criminal offense in Ohio. This crime is known as DWI or DUI in the majority of states. If you drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Ohio, you will be charged with an OVI “Operating a Vehicle under the Influence”.
A “per se OVI” occurs when you are charged with an OVI based on the amount of alcohol and/or drugs in your system. This means that the prosecutor is not required to prove that your driving ability was impaired. Instead, the mere presence of drugs and/or alcohol in your system is sufficient grounds for prosecution.
What Happens To First Time Offenders in Ohio?
Once you are found guilty for drunk driving in the State of Ohio, you are already tagged as someone how has committed a serious crime and so you will be given severe consequences that you have no other choice but to face.
Administrative License Suspension (ALS)
- Once you are stopped randomly to check for drunk driving case and you refuse to submit to it or take the test that is necessary, then the officer who is in charge of your case and take your license on the spot and you will immediately be suspended from driving. This is also the case when you submit yourself to the test and you are found to be guilty of DUI.
- Your license can be suspended for a period of ninety days or up to five depending on your previous offenses or refusals to submit to tests.
- The suspension that you are to undergo is different and exclusive from any jail term that may be given to you. This is also exclusive of other sanctions like fines or other criminal penalties imposed in court for your drinking under the influence offenses.
Length of Suspension: Six months. You will be given limited driving privileges under the law once you are suspended from driving due to DUI offense.
The good news is that you have the right to undergo an administrative hearing to explain your case and you will be entitled to have a lawyer of your choice as well. But you have to pay for their services of course.
Once you have been subjected by an officer in charge for DUI, you have to be able to request for an administrative hearing to the Bureau within thirty working dates from the date of notice.
Once you have made a request, you will be given a concrete time and date for your hearing as well as the place where it will be conducted. You may opt to appear in person by yourself or you many also be represented by your attorney of choice.
In the hearing, you would have to be able to present some evidences and examine some witnesses in order to prove that you are either guilty or not guilty for what it being put on your sleeves. Then if you are proven to not be guilty, you can have your license back and you would no longer be suspended.
Once the administrative hearing has been over and done with, you will be mailed a recommendation from the BMV.
Some Conditions for return of full driving privileges:
Serve six months suspension; Once you have successfully completed the Juvenile Driver Improvement Course, you can simply pay an amount of $30 for reinstatement fees.
Get DUI Help in Ohio
The moment you find yourself charged with a DUI of drinking under the influence in Ohio, act on it and do these two things that you are required to do:
First, take into consideration your drunk driving case and act on it very seriously.
Know for a fact that once you are convicted with a DUI offense in Ohio, you will have a lot of problems with regards to your employment and your rights and privileges to travel. Therefore, your future in general would also be greatly be affected with just that simple mistake.
You can choose to hire the services of an experienced DUI lawyer or attorney in the state of Ohio who has a lot of background on Ohio’s DUI laws.
Hire an Experienced Ohio DUI Attorney
There is no denying the fact that is it actually very challenging for one to understand the DUI laws and court proceedings that you can find in Ohio. That is why it would be the best option for you to hire the services of an Ohio DUI attorney or lawyer who has great background and experience on the said field. When you do, you can certainly find that there would be great changes to your conviction and would get positive results as well.
You will be offered and provided with an initial interview by the lawyer of your choice and you don’t have to pay for anything at all. Everything that will be discussed would also be kept confidential on your part.