WHEN CHARGED WITH DUI….. YOU MAY NEED A DMV IMPLIED CONSENT HEARING JUST TO AVOID LOSING YOUR LICENSE! If you were arrested for DUI and given a notice of suspension for either;  1) Refusing to give a blood or breath or urine sample, or;  2) having a BAC of .15% or above, or:  3) Being an underage driver and having a BAC of .02% or more, you MUST enroll in the South Carolina Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP) or request an implied consent hearing.  Otherwise, your license suspension will become PERMANENT.

The way many police officers enforce the DUI and DWI laws which are currently in place leave little room for the exercising of discretion.  Some officers feel that if you have had anything at all to drink, you should not be driving.  Often, just the smell of alcohol will cause an officer to assume that a driver is impaired.  The law, however, does not support such a proposition.

If you’ve been arrested and charged with a alcohol driving offense, you have already been through an extremely unpleasant set of experiences.  Jail, whether at one of the city jails or at J. Reuben Long Detention Center, is an experience that no human being should ever experience.  To continue blindly through the legal process, without knowing all the rules and pitfalls, will just make a bad situation worse.  You have got some decisions to make that will affect several aspects of your life for years to come. Call us and speak with an attorney so you can be informed of all your options BEFORE you make those decisions.

Don’t even consider entering a guilty plea to a charge without knowing all the ramifications of your decision.  Consult with a knowledgeable attorney who can explain what consequences you will face with a DUI conviction on your record.  A DUI is expensive.  Insurance is expensive, court costs and fines are expensive, bail, impound fees, and losing your license are all expensive side effects of a DUI.  Educate yourself thoroughly before deciding how to spend your money. Otherwise, the “system” will make those decisions for you.

To give you an example of some risks: in South Carolina, a first offense DUI conviction will stay on your driving record for ten years, if you want to EVER have a driver’s license again, you will have to complete ADSAP (usually about $1,000.00) and have SR-22 high risk insurance for three years (3 to 7 times what you pay now for insurance).  You will still lose your regular license for six months but, if you meet certain criteria, you can apply for a route-restricted license.  Forty-eight hours jail time is mandatory.  The fine for DUI varies throughout the jurisdictions of South Carolina but average about $1,000.  Court costs also vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (about double the fine).

For a second or subsequent DUI conviction, it just gets worse.  If the DUI charge arises out of an accident where someone was injured, the consequences become even more severe.  If the driver holds a Commercial Driver’s License, yet another set of complications exist.

You need an attorney who will LISTEN TO YOU, then give you an honest evaluation of your case, explain the law as it relates specifically to the facts of your case and prepare you for trial.  We will do just that.

Some “self proclaimed” DUI lawyers never want to go to trial.  They will take a good case and convince a client to plea guilty instead of go to trial.  In some cases, that strategy may be ok, but for the lawyer who never goes to trial, what kind of plea deals do you think that lawyer will get for his client?  We prepare for a trial in your case from the moment you walk in the door.  If it works out that we can win your case before trial, then we did our job.  If a trial is necessary to protect you, we are prepared from day one.  Before trial we will prepare you.  You will know what will happen and why.  From the jury selection and pre-trial motions to the rules of trial and closing arguments, you will know what to expect and how it will be handled.

NO SURPRISES.

We vigorously defend those accused of DUI on a regular bases.  Our offices are located in downtown Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and we have an attorney available for you 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

Call us for help. 843-445-9800.