First Offense DUI Attorney in Cobb County

Former DAs. 100+ Years of Combined Experience. Fighting for Cobb County Clients.

A first-offense DUI charge in Georgia is classified as a misdemeanor under O.C.G.A. 40-6-391, but the consequences reach far beyond that label. Georgia doesn’t allow expungement of a DUI conviction, which means a conviction follows a person through employment screenings, professional licensing reviews, and background checks for years. The decisions made in the first days after an arrest shape every stage that follows.

Our attorneys at Smith, Schnatmeier, Dettmering & Kilgo, LLP include former District Attorneys who prosecuted criminal cases for the state of Georgia. That background gives us direct knowledge of how the state builds a DUI case and informs how we approach defending one. Combined with over 100 years of collective litigation experience in Cobb County courts, we bring a depth of local courtroom knowledge grounded in prosecutorial and defense experience.

Penalties for a First-Offense DUI Conviction in Georgia

Many people assume a first offense means little more than a fine. Georgia law imposes a mandatory set of consequences that go well beyond that. A first-offense DUI conviction typically carries all of the following:

Standard criminal court penalties include:

• 24 hours in jail, followed by 12 months of probation minus any time served
• Fines of $300 to $1,000, plus statutory surcharges
• 40 hours of community service
• Completion of the DUI Risk Reduction Program (DUI School)
• Clinical evaluation for drug and alcohol dependency and any recommended treatment
• Attendance at a MADD Victim Impact Panel, which many courts require as a condition of probation
• License suspension of up to 12 months

Georgia tracks DUI convictions on a driving record for 10 years, and a conviction within that window counts toward enhanced penalties on any subsequent charge. For teachers, nurses, commercial drivers, and others holding state-issued licenses, a conviction can trigger mandatory reporting obligations and licensing board review. Most Georgia insurers classify a DUI as a major violation, and rate increases can persist long after the legal case closes.

The administrative license suspension process runs on a separate track from the criminal case, with its own deadline and its own consequences. We address that in detail below.

How We Approach First-Offense DUI Defense

An arrest isn’t a conviction. The state must establish both that the officer had lawful justification to initiate the stop and that the driver was either impaired to the point of being a less safe driver or had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 grams or more. Our attorneys examine every link in that chain.

Our review of a first-offense DUI case covers:

• The traffic stop itself: Whether the officer had reasonable articulable suspicion to stop the vehicle
• Field sobriety evaluations: Whether standardized evaluations were administered correctly and under proper conditions
• Implied consent warnings: Whether the statutory warning was delivered accurately and at the correct moment during the stop
• Chemical test evidence: Whether breathalyzer equipment maintenance and calibration records are intact, or whether blood draw chain-of-custody documentation is complete

We handle the DDS Form 1205 process from the start. After a DUI arrest, a client in Cobb County has 30 days from the date that form is issued to either request an Administrative License Suspension (ALS) hearing or install an ignition interlock device. We help clients understand which option fits their circumstances so that deadline doesn’t pass without action.

Speak with a First-Offense DUI Lawyer in Cobb County Today

The 30-day ALS deadline begins on the date your DDS Form 1205 was issued. Waiting narrows the options available to you. Our attorneys are ready to review the details of your arrest, explain what the evidence means, and outline a defense approach suited to your case.