OVI / DUI Charge Reduced to Reckless Operation

While driving home one evening, a gentleman in his late 30s was stopped by a Dublin Police Department officer. The officer had run the driver’s license and it showed suspended. The driver’s record check most likely also alerted the officer to a previous OVI / DUI charge that was reduced to a reckless operation. After speaking with the driver, the Dublin officer asked him to step out of the car and perform the roadside field sobriety tests. The driver complied. After finishing the tests, the driver was arrested and charged with OVI / DUI.

After being arrested, the driver was taken back to the Dublin Police Department and asked to submit to a breath test. He refused. The gentleman’s license was then taken and he was placed under an administrative license suspension. His case was then scheduled for arraignment in Dublin Mayor’s Court.

The gentleman was naturally very unhappy with the situation. He did not feel he was too impaired to drive and had no desire to go through the court process all over again. However, he knew that he needed the Columbus Criminal Defense team to go to bat for him once again and reached out to the attorneys with LHA , who had successfully represented him on his first case.

We transferred the case from Dublin Mayor’s Court to Franklin County Municipal Court. He was able to guide the gentleman on getting his outstanding license issues squared away with the BMV. He then was able to get our client limited driving privileges, so that he could maintain his job.

After reviewing all of the police reports and DVD, we found a number of evidentiary issues with the OVI / DUI case. Ultimately, he was able to leverage the issues with the prosecutor into an offer for a reduced reckless operation charge. After weighing the pros and cons of a jury trial, our client opted to accept the offer and resolved the case with the negotiated plea. He was happy to have avoided the OVI / DUI conviction on his record.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case. Individual results may vary based on the facts, injuries, jurisdiction, venue, witnesses, parties, and other factors. The results and client testimonials provided are not necessarily representative of the results obtained by all clients or their satisfaction with the firm’s services.