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DUI Emotional Impact

• Managing Stress Related to Criminal Charge
• Our Staff Is Like Family To Us And To You

Fees and Payment Plans

• You Don't Want the Cheapest Option
• Fees And Fee Schedules In Your Case
• Retainer
• Incremental Payments
• Flat Fees
• Money Back Option Structure
• Fees & Scope of Service Will Be Put Into Writing
• Match You With an Attorney in Firm Best Suited to Your Case
• Comparing Criminal Law Firms

License Suspension

•   You Only Have 10 Days to Save Your Driver’s License From Suspension
• Free License Appeal Letter
• The License Appeal Hearing
• DUI Administrative License Suspension Proceeding Explained
• Additional Benefits of the ALS Hearing
• We Want to Keep You Driving
• Get a Copy of Your Driving Record
• Obtaining A Work Permit If You Lose Your License
• First Time DUI Offender with GA License Probably Entitled to Work Driving Permit

Breath Test/Breathalyzer

• Intoxilyzer 5000 DUI Breath Machine
• 12 Month’s Hard Driver License Suspension for Refusal to Take BAC Test
• Procedure for Giving Sample with Intoxilyzer 5000
• Demo of Moisture Barrier on Mouthpiece of Intoxilyzer 5000
• Manipulation of Test Results by Operator of Intoxilyzer 5000
• The Pong and Aquarium Pump Makeup of the Intoxilyzer 5000
• Cell Phone Vs Intoxilyzer 5000 Part 1
• Cell Phone Vs Intoxilyzer 5000 Part 2
• Source Code Issues with Intoxilyzer 5000
• Warranty on Intoxilyzer 5000
• Propensity to Skew Results on Intoxilyzer 5000
• Unacceptable Standards of Variability on the Intoxilyzer 5000
• Other Limitations of Intoxilyzer 5000
• Ability of Operator to Reset Intoxilyzer 5000 During Test to Skew Result
• GA Doesn't Use Database on Intoxilyzer 5000
• GA Only Requires Control Calibration of Intoxilyzer 5000 Once a Quarter
• Demo of Molecule Models

Roadside DUI Tests

• Verbal Judo
• Why Officer Will Probably Arrest You
• Remain Silent During DUI Stop
• Be Reasonable & Polite In Refusing Field Sobriety Tests
• Was There a Legitimate Reason to Pull You Over
• Field Sobriety Tests
• Field Sobriety Tests are Made To Fail
• The Handheld Breath Test
• Blood Alcohol Content
• Do Not Take Handheld Breathalyzer Test
• Do Take Official BAC Test
• Ask For Independent DUI Blood Test
• Ask For Breath Test at Different Law Enforcement Agency
• What Not to Do at Roadblocks
• Drivers Rights Cards
• Do Not Try to Use Personal Connections to Ameliorate Your Case

Lawyer Melanie M. Ellwanger

Melanie McCorkle Ellwanger received her Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law. During two summers of law school, she held a law clerk position with Andrew, Merritt, Reilly & Smith in Lawrenceville, GA and gained experience in corporate law, probate law, and estate planning. In her last summer at law school, Ms. Ellwanger was a Summer Associate in Gainesville, GA at Whelchel and Dunlap where she worked in criminal and civil law.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. Ellwanger attended the Women’s College of Brenau University where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies and Conflict Resolution. Her high level of scholastic achievement was recognized by the university, and she was honored with the Brenau Scholar Award. Ms. Ellwanger took an active role in the community through the Brenau University Leadership Program and was a member of the Gamma Sigma Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma Honor Societies.

Following law school, Ms. Ellwanger was a law clerk and investigative assistant for the Hall County Public Defender’s Office in Gainesville, GA. From that beginning, she then went on to accept the position of Assistant Solicitor for the Forsyth County Solicitor General’s Office. As an Assistant Solicitor, Ms. Ellwanger was responsible for prosecuting more than 1,000 criminal cases that were predominated by misdemeanor-level driving under the influence (DUI) prosecutions, along with cases involving various traffic violations, instances of domestic violence, and other crimes. She also served as the special prosecutor for Forsyth County’s "DUI Court Program".
 
While working with the Prosecution, Melanie participated in several law enforcement training courses including completion of the Practitioner's Course for the NHTSA DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) Program, in which she earned a Certificate of Completion. Since joining Head, Thomas, Webb & Willis, LLC in March of 2010, she has joined the National College for DUI Defense (www.NCDD.com) and has completed a comprehensive, multi-day forensic breath testing course in Atlanta. In July of 2010, she attended the NCDD Summer Session conducted at Harvard University School of Law in Cambridge, MA.

Melanie has been an invited speaker at a statewide Georgia DUI Seminar sponsored by Georgia's largest non-profit continuing legal education provider, the Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (www.iclega.org) in May of 2010. She is presently an associate member of the Georgia DODD (Defense of Drinking Drivers) statewide "think tank" organization.

Ms. Ellwanger brought her years of prosecution experience and her unblemished trial record to the highly-regarded Atlanta, GA based Law Firm of Head, Thomas, Webb & Willis, LLC. She is currently an associate with the firm, handling civil and criminal litigation cases, with an emphasis on drunk-driving defense and personal injury law, as well as misdemeanor and felony criminal defense. She is currently working on a handbook regarding "Elements of Civil Actions" under Georgia Law, to be co-authored with Senior Partner William C. Head. This new book will be published by Thomson-Reuters (West Publishing) in early 2011.

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Back to attorney profiles

Winning DUI Cases

• Prepare Every Case to Go All the Way to Trial
• Our Firm's Philosophy On Handling Your Case
• How We Approach Each Case Trying To Win
• Helping You Obtain A Non-DUI Disposition
• Reduction from DUI to Reckless Driving
• The Value Of A Non-DUI Charge And Your License
• Why Blood Test Results Are Beatable
• Can Win Cases Even With High BAC
• Need to Know All Medications You Are On
• May Take Extensive Personal History - Never Know What May Be Helpful
• Will Maintain Good Communication with You

Investigators & Experts

• DUI Investigators
• The Importance of Investigator Testimony
• DUI Expert Witnesses
• The Importance of Expert Witness Testimony
• The Man Who Wrote the DUI Books: Bubba Head
• Our Attorneys Have The Most Advanced Training
• News Media Recognize Him as Expert

DUI Law

• No Expungement in Georgia
• Don't Try to Handle DUI Yourself
• Strong Likelihood of Jail Time for DUI Conviction
• Per Se and Less Safe DUI Charges
• The Various Types of DUI
• Driving Under the Influence of Drugs
• DUI Implied Consent
• When & Why to Take Official BAC Test
• Importance of Implied Consent Rules
• Non-Judicial Consequences of DUI Conviction
• Police DUI Roadblocks
• Lack of Evidence at Roadblocks
• Ignition Interlock Process
• Jail Time for Repeat DUI Offenses
• Offenses Under Age 21
• Clinical Evaluation & Risk Reduction for a DUI Case
• If You Think You Have a Drug or Alcohol Problem, Let Us Know
• Increased Penalties for Repeat DUI Offenses
• Inpatient Treatment Facilities
• Treatment Arranged Privately & Will Not Hurt Your Case
• Minimum Penalties For a First DUI Offense
• Minimum Penalties For a Second DUI Offense
• Minimum Penalties For a Third (Or More) DUI Offense
• Fourth DUI Offense Now a Felony

DUI Court Process

• After Arrest, Police Will Search & Impound Vehicle
• Explanation of Bond Process
• After Bonding Out – Your Arraignment – First Court Appearance
• Criminal Court Arraignment
• The Discovery Process
• Pre-Trial Motions
• Motions to Suppress Evidence
• Motions to Exclude DUI Evidence
• Majority of DUI Cases Don't Go to Trial
• Good Working Relationships with Prosecutors
• Know Your Judge for DUI Case
• The Importance Of Your Judge Assignment
• Bench Trial
• Dealing With Cases Heard in Superior Court
• Our Law Firm Prepares Witnesses for Court
• Case May Proceed Slowly Thru Court System
• Filing Motions to Speed Up or Put Off Trial Date
• DUI Case Offers & Counteroffers
• Will Advise You if Plea Deal is Best Option
• After Assessing Evidence, Will Tell You if Loss at Trial Would Be Likely
• What Is Going To Happen To Me If I Lose This Case?
• Preserving Right to Appeal
• Don't Like to Take Over Cases Other Firms Have Started
• Our Philosophy & Game Plan
• Look For DUI Trial Lawyer
• May Not Know Chances of Winning a Trial at Beginning of Case
• Question Court Personnel as to Who They Would Hire

Serious DUI Information

• Explanation of Hit and Run
• Penalties for Attempting to Elude a Police Officer
• Additional DUI Charge For Every Child in Vehicle Under Age 14
• Explanation of Serious Injury by Vehicle
• Penalties for Vehicular Homicide
• Predicate Offenses for Vehicular Homicide
• In Accident With Serious Injury or Fatality & Warrant Required To Obtain Blood or Urine Test