Monroe County, GA DUI & Criminal Defense Lawyer

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Arrested for DUI or charged with a crime in Forsyth or Monroe County? A DUI arrest starts a 30-day clock on your driver’s license, and every criminal charge moves faster than most people expect. Call (478) 254-2665 for a free, confidential case review.

Monroe County DUI Lawyer: Board Certified in DUI Defense

Ben Sessions is a Board Certified DUI Defense Specialist through the National College for DUI Defense, the certifying organization accredited by the American Bar Association, and one of four lawyers in Georgia with that certification. He has taught more than 30 continuing legal education courses on DUI defense and has handled DUI appeals before the Georgia Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Georgia. Our Macon office is about 25 miles south of Forsyth on I-75.

After an Arrest in Monroe County

People arrested in Monroe County are usually booked at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and jail, 145 L. Cary Bittick Drive, Forsyth, Georgia 31029. Most DUI and misdemeanor arrests are bondable, and many people are released the same day or the next morning.

Many Monroe County DUI arrests happen on I-75, which the Georgia State Patrol works heavily, along with stops by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Forsyth Police Department on US-41, GA-42 and in town. Each agency has its own practices on field sobriety testing, body cameras and breath testing, and we request all of it.

The 30-Day Deadline to Save Your License

A Georgia DUI arrest creates two separate cases: the criminal charge and an Administrative License Suspension (ALS) case with the Department of Driver Services. You generally have 30 days from the arrest or the notice of suspension to request an ALS hearing (O.C.G.A. § 40-5-67.1) or, if you are eligible, to install an ignition interlock device and apply for a limited permit, which waives the hearing. If neither happens within 30 days, the suspension takes effect automatically. Read more about the ALS case versus the criminal DUI case.

Which Court Will Hear Your Case

Monroe County does not have a State Court, so cases are divided differently than in Macon-Bibb or Houston County:

• Forsyth Municipal Court may hear traffic and misdemeanor cases from arrests inside the Forsyth city limits.
• Monroe County Probate Court, at the courthouse on Courthouse Square in Forsyth, can hear traffic misdemeanors, including DUI, when the defendant does not demand a jury trial.
• Monroe County Superior Court, also at 1 Courthouse Square, hears felony cases and any misdemeanor where a jury trial is demanded. Cases there are prosecuted by the District Attorney for the Towaliga Judicial Circuit.

Whether to keep a case in a lower court or demand a jury trial is a strategic decision that depends on the evidence. It should be made early, with a lawyer who knows the difference.

DUI Defense in Monroe County

We look at every part of a Monroe County DUI case:

• The stop. Did the trooper or deputy have a lawful reason to pull you over?
• Field sobriety tests. Were the HGN, walk-and-turn and one-leg-stand tests given and scored the way NHTSA training requires? See our guide to the HGN test in DUI cases.
• Implied consent. Was the Georgia implied consent notice read correctly and at the right time?
• Breath and blood tests. Was the Intoxilyzer 9000 maintained and operated properly, and was any blood drawn under a valid warrant or valid consent?
• Video. Body camera and dash camera footage often tells a different story than the report.

A DUI conviction in Georgia stays on your record permanently. For penalties by offense, see our Georgia DUI lawyer page.

Criminal Defense in Monroe County

We also defend people charged with other crimes in Forsyth and Monroe County, including:

• Drug possession and trafficking charges, which often start as I-75 traffic stops
• Traffic offenses such as reckless driving, super speeder tickets and driving on a suspended license
• Misdemeanors such as shoplifting, simple battery and possession of marijuana
• Felonies prosecuted in Monroe County Superior Court

See our Georgia criminal defense lawyer page for more.

Nearby Courts We Handle

We also handle DUI and criminal cases in Macon-Bibb County, Warner Robins and Houston County and Milledgeville and Baldwin County. If you were hurt in a crash in Monroe County, see our Forsyth and Monroe County personal injury lawyer page.

Talk to a Monroe County DUI Lawyer Today

Sessions & Fleischman, LLC
544 Mulberry Street, Suite 319
Macon, GA 31201
Phone: (478) 254-2665

The 30-day license deadline does not wait. Call for a free, confidential case review about your Forsyth or Monroe County DUI or criminal charge.