If you’ve been arrested and charged with a DUI or OVI offense, it’s important to know your rights. Before giving any statements to authorities, you should consult with a Mentor DUI lawyer to help prevent serious, long-lasting consequences or a criminal conviction. At Lallo & Feldman Co., we provide aggressive, knowledgeable, and immediate defense services after your arrest. We serve clients throughout Northeast Ohio, and offer a free consultation to help you determine your next steps and build a compelling case against conviction.
If you are arrested for driving under the influence, it’s important to exercise your right to remain silent while otherwise cooperating with law enforcement officers. You are under no obligation to answer any questions. Provide the officers with your driver’s license or other basic form of identification, but do not discuss anything related to your charges. As soon as you are released, contact an attorney. A qualified DUI lawyer can help you prepare a strong defense case and advocate for you with the authorities and the courts. Once you consult with an attorney and relay the details that led to your arrest, your lawyer can better understand the situation and form a strategy to help prevent you from incriminating yourself.
DUI charges are a serious issue throughout Ohio, with over 78,000 OVI arrests statewide from 2021 to 2025. Ohio has some of the strictest DUI laws in the nation. There are mandatory consequences even for first-time offenders, including steep fines, jail time, and license suspension that can last up to three years. The courts can also mandate participation in drug and alcohol treatment programs and probation. Repeat convictions can have a devastating effect on your future. You may face longer jail and prison sentences, extended license suspension periods, and even the forfeiture of your vehicle. This inhibits your ability to work, leads to higher insurance costs, and can even impact your ability to find housing, as many landlords require background checks and will decline leasing applications to those convicted of criminal activity.
Our knowledgeable DUI defense lawyers have several strategies at their disposal to help you avoid a conviction. One of the most common defenses concerns the circumstances around your arrest. Police must have a valid reason for pulling you over. Law enforcement must state reasonable suspicion to justify pulling a driver over. Actions such as swerving, erratic changes in speed, disobeying traffic signals, and abrupt stops all qualify as reasonable suspicion for a DUI. However, if you are merely driving late at night, in a quiet neighborhood, or if you suspect you were pulled over for invalid reasons, your attorney can argue for unlawful arrest. Any evidence collected after your detainment that violates your constitutional rights can be suppressed, potentially invalidating the prosecution’s case and helping you avoid conviction.
Your first consideration when you are arrested and charged with a DUI should be developing a strong defense. Our qualified DUI lawyers, who are familiar with Ohio’s laws, can rely on their years of experience to help you secure a fair resolution to your case that enables you to carry on with your life as soon as possible. At Lallo & Feldman Co., we are skilled negotiators and advocates with over four decades of experience in DUI defense law. We understand the hardships a DUI conviction can bring, and we are here to help. Many complex factors influence DUI cases in Ohio, so it is crucial to hire an attorney with aggressive litigation and negotiation skills to help protect you during a hearing at the Mentor Municipal Court on Civic Center Boulevard.
The cost to hire a DUI lawyer in Mentor, Ohio depends on several factors, including the complexity of your case, the experience level of the attorney, and how much time they and their legal team dedicate to your case, since many lawyers charge by the hour. Every defense case is different. Attorneys should disclose their fees early and explain how their fee schedule operates to potential clients during the initial consultation.
Getting a DUI/OVI charge dismissed in Ohio largely depends on the circumstances around your arrest and how evidence against you is gathered, which is why it’s very important to disclose all the details of your detainment to your defense team. One of the most successful tactics defense attorneys utilize is unlawful detainment or arrest. If the arrest occurred without reasonable suspicion, charges must be dismissed by the courts.
Plea bargains, or plea deals, are offered by prosecutors to reduce your sentence or charges without a full trial. The defendant’s legal team should carefully review the plea bargain to determine whether the risks of undergoing a full trial exceed the benefits of accepting a lesser sentence. The acceptance of a plea deal should depend on the strength of the defense team’s case and the potential penalties the defendant may face if convicted to the full extent of the law.
In Ohio, a DUI conviction does not go away after 10 years. It remains on your permanent record indefinitely. However, Ohio has a lookback period allowance, which means if you do not have another conviction for a DUI during the 10 years following your first offense, your next offense may be prosecuted as a first offense. Multiple convictions within a 10-year period lead to more severe consequences with every incident.
Since 1979, Lallo & Feldman Co., LPA, has been representing and advocating for the citizens of Mentor and residents throughout Northeast Ohio. With a proven record of favorable outcomes for our clients, our team is trustworthy, knowledgeable, and experienced. Being charged with a DUI can threaten your ability to work, your license, and your freedom. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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