Fairfield County Ohio DUI / OVI Attorney
Arrested for drunk driving in or near Lancaster, Ohio?
If you or someone you know was recently charged with DUI / OVI in Fairfield County (Lancaster or Reynoldsburg) Ohio and are scheduled to appear in court (most likely this Wednesday), you may call Koffel Brininger Nesbitt and speak to a member of our firm for more information. Call us today and you will be connected with a knowledgeable Fairfield County criminal defense lawyer at our firm.
Important Details About Your DUI
In the interim, there are a few important details that you must know.
First, arraignments for DUI / OVI are typically held on Wednesday mornings. Unlike many other Ohio courts that do not require the personal appearance of the accused at the initial appearance, the judges in Lancaster do. Either Judge David Trimmer or Pat Harris will be presiding over the case.
Our Fairfield County DUI attorneys handle many Ohio DUI / Ohio OVI cases here each year and we have since 1994 when our firm was established. It is our preference to schedule a Monday or Tuesday office appointment prior to the Wednesday arraignment. Sometimes we can simply consult with our client over the telephone if they cannot make it in to our office prior to the arraignment.
BMV Hearings in Fairfield County
DUI offenses in Ohio will also prompt an administrative license suspension (ALS). There are two main reasons why licenses are suspended in these types of cases: 1) You tested over the legal limit, or 2) You refused to take a chemical (usually breath) test.
This administrative suspension can be contested, and you have 30 days to do so. You can contest an ALS with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). This is an administrative rather than a criminal hearing. As such, this hearing does not deal with guilt/innocence but rather solely your right to drive. You do not have to be present at this hearing if you retain a Fairfield County DUI lawyer like the ones at KBN.
Fairfield County Municipal Court
The current sitting judges at the Fairfield County Municipal Court are Judge David Trimmer and Judge Pat Harris. The Clerk of Court is Sherry L. Eckman. This court serves all of Fairfield County, Ohio and handles most misdemeanor criminal and traffic matters in addition to some felony cases.
If you are facing a criminal matter in Fairfield County, your case will either be handled in Fairfield County Municipal Court, located in Lancaster, Ohio, or your case may be held in a smaller, city court called a mayor's court. There are three cities located within Fairfield County that have mayor's courts:
- Lithopolis Mayor's Court
- Pickerington Mayor's Court
- Sugar Grove Mayor's Court
Mayor's court cases are typically low-level offenses like infractions or municipal code violations. To locate the Fairfield County Municipal Court, view address and a map below.
104 E Main Street
Lancaster, OH 43130
Other Cases We Handle in Fairfield County
KBN not only handles DUI/OVI cases in Lancaster, Reynoldsburg, and other cities in Fairfield County. We also handle a wide range of other criminal cases, both felony and misdemeanor, such as:
If you or someone you love is facing criminal charges or you are interested in getting a charge cleared or expunged from your record, contact a Fairfield County criminal defense lawyer at our firm today.
Contacting a Fairfield County DUI / OVI Lawyer
KBN is prepared to defend clients against their drunk or drugged driving charges who reside throughout Fairfield County in Columbus, Lancaster, Pickerington, Reynoldsburg and beyond. Lead Attorney Brad Koffel and the other attorneys at the firm have been highly rated for their skill and effectiveness in the field of DUI defense, having received honors such as inclusion in the list of Ohio Super Lawyers®, AV Preeminent™ peer review ratings on Martindale-Hubbell® and voted into The Best Lawyers in America® since 2008.
Our firm primarily represents individuals who have had little to no prior contact with the criminal justice system. We are interested in defending people who we believe are viable candidates for alternative sentencing/treatment or whose charges we are confident can be either dismissed or reduced.
If you or someone you know would like to discuss a pending DUI / OVI case in Lancaster, Ohio, please feel free to call: 614-884-1100 (Mondays - Sundays, 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.)