DUI / OVI Charges

Hamilton County, Indiana DUI Attorney

Coots, Henke & Wheeler, Attorneys at Law, P.C.

Also known as DWI, OWI, OVWI, OVI, and drunk driving—if you have recently stopped, arrested, and charged with driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the clock is ticking.

Contact a lawyer now.

At the law firm of Coots, Henke & Wheeler, P.C., we have been handling criminal defense of DUI cases throughout Hamilton and Marion counties for nearly 30 years. During this time the law has changed a great deal and the number of arrests and the severity of the penalties for conviction have grown by leaps and bounds. But one thing hasn't changed—our approach to helping clients in these cases.

In addition to the tremendous expense of court costs, fines, attorneys' fees, and skyrocketing insurance rates, criminal penalties for OVI include:

First Offense: possible jail time, a 30-day minimum drivers' license
suspension, and a 180-day hardship license thereafter

Second Offense: a second offense within 5 years of your first results in a
minimum 5-day jail term and 1-year license suspension

Felony Offenses: if you have had two previous OVI convictions, one within
the last 5 years and the other at any time since 1991,
you are subject to a minimum 6-month jail sentence and
a 10-year loss of driving privileges

In addition, be aware that three major traffic convictions within 10 years (including violations like reckless driving as well as OVI), and you are considered to be a Habitual Traffic Violator. Three such convictions in that time span is a 10-year license suspension and if you are caught driving during that time period, you lose your license for life.

In some of these cases, we are able to help clients avoid convictions by challenging Constitutional issues such as probable cause or search and seizure violations. In others, defective testing equipment or improper testing procedures may have been used and we will uncover these avenues of defense wherever they exist.

In cases where a dismissal or reduction of charges is not possible, our experience and the strong working relations we have built with prosecutors and judges in the Central Indiana legal community becomes a great asset to our clients and we are often able to help them avoid the most severe penalties and minimize the amount of time their license is under suspension.

To learn more about OVI, license suspensions, and the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, contact an accomplished Indiana DUI attorney at Coots, Henke & Wheeler, P.C. today.

The Carmel, Indiana law firm of Coots, Henke & Wheeler, P.C. represents clients in Hamilton County, Marion County, and in the surrounding areas of Central Indiana in matters concerning small business law, estate planning criminal law, family law, and personal injury law. Cities and communities they serve include Indianapolis, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, Zionsville, and Sheridan.