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For many people, the “Out-of-State” Trap is a major issue they encounter when receiving their DUI arrest.As many people find when they are arrested for a DUI, the “Out-of-State” Trap is often a problem for them.
Atlanta is a big city that attracts millions of visitors, convention goers, and business travelers annually. From a major corporate meeting in the heart of the city to a weekend stay with friends in Buckhead, there are no shortfalls of things to do and eat in the city while you’re at the airport. Unfortunately, when traveling new roads, intricate highway networks, and local law enforcement, sometimes the experience is a very stressful and unexpected event with the police. When people are charged with driving while intoxicated in Georgia, it is a legal nightmare for visitors to the state.
What happens in Georgia, stays in Georgia – that’s the erroneous belief held by many non-residents. An arrest in Atlanta is a local matter and once they board their plane back home the issue will go away or not show up, they mistakenly think. That’s wrong. The nation’s law enforcement agencies are well connected with one another and use complex interstate databases and cooperative agreements. Georgia has its own rules for out-of-state drivers, but when you are arrested, your arrest record and any resulting license suspension will be sent to your home state’s Department of Motor Vehicles in a matter of minutes via the National Driver Register, the Non-Resident Violator Compact and other systems.
When your home state is notified of your Georgia charge, they are more likely than not to begin their own punitive measures against your driving privileges. All of these are things you might be facing if you are arrested on an internet-connected device, especially if the arrest is hundreds or thousands of miles from your home — suspended license, required alcohol education classes, and your insurance premiums will be sky-high. You’re virtually fighting two battles: the legal one in the local Georgia municipal or county court and the administrative one in your own state’s licensing board. Additionally, if you ignore the Georgia court dates, you will be issued a bench warrant for your arrest for the upcoming date, and your name will be on the list of anybody who gets pulled over by police officers across the country.
You will need to hire a foreign law firm to deal with out-of-state charges and attempting to navigate it on your own is a critical mistake. A lawyer from New York or Florida will not be able to advise you in a Georgia courtroom, and they will not have the same knowledge of the intricacies of Georgia prosecutors, judges and county practice that can help you get a favorable ruling. That’s why having an experienced Atlanta DUI Lawyer is critical for anyone who visits Atlanta and is charged with DUI. A highly trained local professional can frequently be present in court on your behalf via waivers, thereby reducing the tremendous stress of making multiple trips back to Georgia, and diligently fight for your record both locally and nationally.
A seasoned DUI Attorney Atlanta visitors can count on will take instant steps to safeguard important evidence, contest the authority of the police’s initial traffic stop near the airport of downtown hotels, and review any roadside chemical testing by local law enforcement. They do not intend to ever see a conviction, they don’t intend to take away your driving license from home, they do not want to see your license suspended, they do not want to see your license canceled.They don’t want you to be convicted, they don’t want to suspend your license, they don’t want to cancel your license, they don’t want the interstate ripple effect to take over your driving license back home. It’s enough of a challenge to deal with a criminal charge, which is even more difficult if it’s from another state or time zone, and even more difficult if you don’t have strong local representation who understands the intricacies of Georgia law and can seamlessly walk you through the process, so you can get back to your life without the constant threat of a pending out-of-state conviction looming over you.
