Richland County DUI / OVI Lawyer

Arrested for drunk driving in or near Mansfield, OH?

Koffel Brininger Nesbitt proudly represents individuals who have been arrested for DUI/OVI in Richland County. Our attorneys are experienced with the Municipal Court in the city of Mansfield and can represent you if you're facing a drunk driving or related charge in this area. KBN has been around long enough to know the court personnel, prosecutors, judges, etc. in Richland County, which can be to your advantage.

Mansfield Municipal Court & Richland County Mayor's Courts

Mansfield Municipal Court serves the entire County of Richland. In certain cities, lesser offenses such as infractions or city ordinance violations are handled in mayor's courts. The cities with mayor's courts in Richland County include:

  • Bellville Mayor's Court
  • Butler Mayor's Court
  • Lexington Mayor's Court
  • Lucas Mayor's Court
  • Ontario Mayor's Court
  • Shiloh Mayor's Court

The two current sitting judges at the Mansfield Municipal Court are Judge Jerry Ault and Judge Frank Ardis Jr. It is important to note that Judge Ault has gained a reputation advocating for alternative sentencing and played a major role introducing several specialty dockets such as the Mental Health Court and a Domestic Violence Court. Judge Ault is the first municipal judge in the country to run four specialty dockets. Similarly, Judge Ardis is also passionate about proper sentencing for mentally ill offenders and those struggling with substance abuse.

If you were arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Richland County, Ohio, you were probably pulled over by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Richland County Sheriff, or a Richland County police department such as the Mansfield Police Department. Even if you were arrested for a DUI-related charge by one of these departments, you are innocent until proven guilty and you have the right to contest your license suspension at a BMV hearing. You can trust the Richland County OVI attorneys at KBN with your case.

The DUI Process in Richland County, Ohio

After an arrest, you can expect to face an arraignment. You may or may not have to appear at this hearing, so speak with a Richland County OVI lawyer at our law firm to learn if we can appear for you. At the arraignment, your charge(s) will be formally read to you and you will be asked how you plea: guilty or not guilty. If you plead guilty, your case will proceed to sentencing. If you choose to retain a Mansfield DUI attorney from KBN, we can evaluate your case to take the best legal recourse, whether that means pleading not guilty, arriving at a favorable plea bargain or some other option.

BMV Hearings in Richland County

A drunk driving offense has two components: the criminal and the administrative. Above, we have detailed the basics of the criminal side of an OVI case. If arrested for intoxicated driving, you can face administrative license suspension (ALS) for a period of six months.

There are three major reasons why a person might face ALS after a traffic stop:

  1. The officer had reason to believe that the driver was impaired.
  2. After a lawful arrest, the driver's chemical test results showed over the legal limit.
  3. Drivers can face ALS for refusing to take a chemical/breath test.

In the state of Ohio, drivers have 30 days to request a hearing to contest license suspension after their arrest. These hearings are held at the closes Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). It is important to remember that this is an administrative hearing and not a criminal hearing- it does not deal with your guilt or innocence. Mansfield OVI attorneys at our law firm can represent you at this hearing, often without you even having to be present.

Other Cases We Handle

In addition to drunken driving and OVI cases, KBN also handles a number of other felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, including –

To learn if a criminal defense lawyer from our firm could provide defense representation for you, contact us today.

Trusted DUI / OVI Attorneys in Mansfield, Ohio

KBN is one of the most well equipped law firms in the state of Ohio to handle your drunk driving case. Since our firm was founded about 20 years ago, we have been aggressively defending clients against DUIs / OVIs in various courts and BMV offices throughout the state, including Richland County and Mansfield, which is the county seat of Richland County.

Lead Attorney Brad Koffel has been recognized on a number of occasions for his skill and effectiveness in the field with honors such as Best Lawyers in America© since 2008, Ohio Super Lawyers® and Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America by The National Trial Lawyers. Many have trusted our law firm with their DUI cases.

If you would like to do the same, contact a Richland County OVI lawyer by calling the firm today (614) 675-4845