10 day Letter

10 Day Letter

Over the years our firm has handled thousands of DUI cases.  We’ve probably seen every issue you can dream of.  But a common thread that every DUI case shares is the importance of immediately appealing any petition to suspend your license.  We do this by filing what is commonly referred to as the 10 day letter.

Any time you’re arrested for DUI in Georgia, you actually have two cases.  The first case is a criminal case and it pertains to the tickets the Officer gave you at the jail.   But that’s not where it ends.   A person arrested for DUI in the State of Georgia may also have a civil case pertaining to their driver’s license.  Georgia law allows a police officer to submit a form (DDS 1205; See Ryan Walsh’s  blog on 1205s) to the department of driver services requesting that your driver’s license be suspended.   sample1205picThe Officers are trained to take your driver’s license and attach it to the form.  The Officer will then give you a copy of the form, which will act as a driver’s license for thirty-days.  On the back of the form there is a procedure on how to appeal any petitions to suspend the driver’s license.  You have ten business days from the date of your arrest to file a formal appeal to the Department of Driver Services through the State Office of Administrative Hearings in order to challenge any petitions to suspend your license. This is where the 10 day letter comes into play.

Part of the services we provide in every DUI case is sending off the ten day letter for our clients and handling any subsequent appeal that may arise.   Sending off the 10 day letter will trigger an administrative license suspension hearing with the State Office of Administrative Hearings.  At that hearing there are several different options available to our clients with regard to their driver’s license. We tell every client that the status of a driver’s license during a DUI case can be complicated.  Allow our lawyers to eliminate the headache and insure that not only your rights are protected, but also your driver’s license.  If you have been arrested for DUI, please call our office immediately at 404-581-0999 to set up a free consultation.