EXPERIENCED COLUMBIA SC DUI ATTORNEYS

First, an arrest does NOT mean conviction. The State of South Carolina has accused you of a crime, but now, they have to prove you guilty to a jury “beyond a reasonable doubt.” That’s the highest legal standard, and the entire burden of proof is on the prosecution. You have to prove nothing. That’s where we come in. We are aggressive DUI defense attorneys in Columbia SC.  National Trial Lawyers Top 100 for SC. You can learn more about our lawyers further down this page. For now, let’s review how you got here.

Most of our clients come into the office feeling like all is lost before we even begin. They often feel embarrassed and ashamed. They have heard all of the horror stories about being arrested for DUI and how everyone is ultimately found guilty. NOT TRUE. The DUI laws in South Carolina are tough, but they are also fair. To prove you guilty, the State must show three (3) things: (1) you were driving, (2) in the county where charged, and (3) that you had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater or were materially and appreciably impaired.

Here in Columbia SC, our team of experienced DUI lawyers review and challenge every part of the State’s case. In checkpoint or traffic stop cases, driving is fairly straightforward. But in cases where someone is found outside of the car, it is not always clear who was driving at the time. It is the same with jurisdiction issues. Columbia SC is comprised of both Richland County and Lexington County. Different police agencies have jurisdictions. The SC Highway Patrol can go virtually anywhere, but city police cannot. If stopped outside of the proper jurisdiction, the arrest is invalid. We literally check the longitude/latitude readout on the ticket and compare with Google maps to make certain you were arrested by the proper police agency. If not, we move to dismiss your case no matter what the other circumstances.

The last element is the one most contested in DUI cases. If you refuse to submit to breath testing or if the breathalyzer machine is not working properly, the State has to prove you were unsafe to drive. And in cases where there is a BAC reading, the breath testing machine can be challenged as well as the procedures used by the officer during testing. Most importantly, under our DUI laws, we get a lot of video evidence. Seeing is believing, and a picture (or video) is worth a thousand words. In many of our cases, the video evidence made the difference between a conviction and a not guilty verdict. The BAC reading was fairly high, and the officer’s description of our client was pretty bad. However, what jurors saw on the police video simply did not match up, and our client was acquitted of his DUI charge.

ROBERT J. REEVES () 803-554-4157

Robert is also an aggressive, experienced litigator in both civil and criminal courts. In addition, Robert has undergone the same training as police officers and has received certificates in DWI Investigation, Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, as well as Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE). Because of his commitment to DUI defense, Robert is also a member of the SC Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, National College for DUI Defense, and National Trial Lawyers Top 100.

PERSONALLY AVAILABLE WHEN YOU NEED US

Our DUI lawyers are available when you need answers. Most clients get arrested late in the evening or on weekends. If you call us during the late night hours, we will call you first thing in the morning. If you call on the weekends, you will get answers and guidance until we can meet in person. You can reach Robert Reeves directly on his mobile phone 803-554-4157. Or, you can email us privately and confidentially at . Try not to worry. Being charged with a DUI is a process, and it begins with the arrest. This is what we do for a living. We will be there for you and beside you. Call us now and let’s see what we can do to help.