Reitz, Paul & Shorr represents individuals accused of violating the traffic laws of the State of Ohio or of Ohio’s cities, including allegations of: 

 

• Driving or operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs

• (DUI / OVI / DWI / Drunk Driving)

• Driving under suspension (DUS)

• Other traffic law violations such as speeding, red light and stop sign violations.

• Driving or operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI / OVI / DWI)

• Our DUI / OVI and traffic lawyers appear in courts in Cuyahoga County, Geauga County, Portage County and Summit County. Reitz, Paul & Shorr ’s DUI / OVI and traffic lawyers have experience as DUI / OVI and traffic prosecutors as well as providing defense to DUI / OVI and traffic charges.

 

Types of DUI / OVI and the tiered penalty system In Ohio there are several different types of DUI / OVI, but the three most common are:

• Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs

• Operating a vehicle with a breath alcohol concentration over 0.08 but less than 0.17

• Operating a vehicle with a breath alcohol concentration of 0.17 or higher

 

Ohio law requires minimum mandatory penalties for each type of DUI / OVI, with the penalties becoming more severe if you have previous DUI / OVI convictions.

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Reitz, Paul & Shorr’s DUI/OVI lawyers can explain to you the minimum mandatory penalties you are facing. We can evaluate your case to determine whether you should proceed through a trial or attempt to obtain a reduction in the charge so that the judge will be permitted to impose a less severe penalty. One way that our lawyers do this is to evaluate the legality of how law enforcement obtained its evidence and determine whether to ask the court to suppress the evidence against you.

 

Driver’s license suspension Reitz, Paul & Shorr’s DUI and traffic lawyers can help you through the maze of the driver’s license suspensions that accompany OVI / DUI charges. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles may impose an administrative license suspension on your driver’s license from the time of the offense, even before you are convicted. Our lawyers may be able to obtain the judge’s permission to allow you to drive while your case is pending, either by obtaining limited driving privileges or by a court-ordered stay of the administrative license suspension.

 

If you are convicted of OVI / DUI, the judge is required to suspend your driver’s license for at least six months. Our lawyers can work to keep the length of the court-ordered driver’s license suspension to a minimum and to obtain limited driving privileges for you during the court-ordered suspension.

Restricted license plates If you are convicted of OVI or DUI, and the court grants you limited driving privileges, the court may require you to drive with restricted license plates on your vehicle. The court must require restricted plates for some types of DUI or OVI offenses. Ohio’s restricted license plates are license plates with a red background and yellow numbers.

 

Driver Intervention Program (DIP) A conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can result in severe penalties, including jail time and fines. Ohio law requires even first time offenders to spend three days in jail. However, a judge can, but is not required to, allow a person convicted of DUI or OVI to serve the mandatory three days at a Driver Intervention Program instead of jail. The Driver Intervention Program, often held at a hotel, is a 3 day class about the dangers of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Attendees at the DIP class must spend 72 consecutive hours at the class, which typically begins on a Thursday and ends on the following Sunday.

 

Driving Under Suspension (DUS) Reitz, Paul & Shorr’s attorneys can defend you against a charge of driving your vehicle while your license was suspended. Our lawyers can assist you in having the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles inactivate the suspension so that you can obtain a valid driver’s license.

Minor Traffic Violations Our attorneys can defend you against allegations of speeding, red light violations, stop sign violations, and other minor traffic tickets. We can assist you to determine whether you have or will have a driver’s license point problem if you are convicted.