1. Will my case be dismissed?

The law firm of Chestney-Hawkins has been tracking its cases statistically for the past several years. This includes approximately 1000 closed DUI cases.

Upon request, a prospective client can see the results. The actual compilation of these case files (with the former clients' names omitted) shows that approximately 67% of the firm’s cases have been fully contested with the remainder of our clients choosing to enter a plea rather than take their case to trial.

Of the fully contested cases, only 10% have resulted in a DUI conviction. Roughly 72% of these fully contested cases have been resolved successfully without a trial (either dismissed or reduced to a lesser charge). Approximately two-thirds of the cases that did require a trial resulted in an acquittal.

2. If convicted, will I go to jail?

This is a tough question to address because a good deal of the sentencing is left to the judge’s discretion. However, one thing is absolutely certain. If you are stopped and you are found with a Blood Alcohol Level of .08 or higher, the judge must sentence you to 10 days in jail. However, this sentence may be waived or suspended by the judge. That is the judge may waive all of the sentence except for 24 hours. 24 hours is the minimum whereas the maximum sentence is 12 months in jail.

3. Will my case be just another chore in a faceless law firm with multiple priorities?

The Chestney-Hawkins Law Firm is dedicated exclusively to fighting DUI cases.

Many attorneys claim to be DUI defense lawyers, but they simply handle guilty pleas. Although most cases do not have to go all the way to trial, we take every case with the attitude that we will go to trial if necessary to avoid a wrongful DUI conviction.

Furthermore, unlike most attorneys who advertise as DUI lawyers, The Chestney-Hawkins Law Firm doesn't defend murder, robbery or sex crimes; we don't handle divorces or bankruptcies - we only defend DUI cases (and related charges such as vehicular homicide). Our entire office is geared toward this specialized area of the law.

4. How do I know that I will be getting the best representation possible?

Each of our lawyers is specially trained and educated in the unique aspects of DUI defense, and devotes almost 100% of his or her practice to this area. Our lawyers are either attending or speaking at DUI defense seminars several times every year. We are the only law firm in Georgia, and one of only two in the entire country, with two lawyers who are Board Certified by the National College of DUI Defense.

Our office manager, Penny Thompson, was formerly a judicial assistant to a judge who presided over thousands of DUI cases in the metro Atlanta area, giving her a unique understanding of the criminal justice system.

While our offices are conveniently located in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, we defend DUI cases all over the northern half of Georgia.

5. How do I know that I am getting good advice?

The poet Robert Frost once quipped that, “A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer.”

Would you go to your family doctor for heart surgery? Of course not, you would choose a doctor that specializes in cardiology. Likewise, you should probably not trust your future and potentially your freedom to a law firm that only handles a handful of DUI cases a year – or even one that “handles” hundreds, but mostly processes guilty pleas.

The lawyers at Chestney Hawkins handle only one kind of case, DUI. With a proven track record of successful defenses, you can trust that the lawyers at Chestney Hawkins will give you the absolute best representation possible.