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DUI Lawyer Athens GA: Criminal Attorneys in Athens GA
By: Cory Yager, a former police officer and a highly rated DUI attorney in Athens.
The author of this article about DUI arrests in Athens, GA, is joined by Partner Larry Kohn. He is a DUI defense attorney and an AVVO Super Star. Both are criminal lawyers with highest AVVO and Martindale ratings and over 580 5-star reviews on AVVO.
Our senior partner, William C. "Bubba" Head, has been a DUI attorney in Athens since 1976. He graduated from UGA Law School that year.
He resided in the Classic City and was a best-known best criminal defense attorney in Athens GA and the top Athens DUI attorney before (in 1991), when he relocated to Atlanta, where 41% of all DUI cases in the State of Georgia were being made within the immediate metro Atlanta counties.
He is the author or co-author of more than a dozen books on DUI-DWI laws nationwide, including 101 Ways to AVOID a Drunk Driving Conviction. Incidentally, in your FREE initial lawyer CASE REVIEW, this is a 100% free consultation!
Many people arrested in this college town for impaired driving in Athens-Clarke County are UGA students. Because of the large crowds that gather regularly, law enforcement from the Georgia State Patrol, UGA campus police, and the Athens-Clarke County Police may all be involved.
Sports fans leaving Athens after a game may also be involved in DUI arrests. After most football games, DUI checkpoints may be set up along GA Highway 316, or US highway 78. Late night travelers may find a roadblock in Oconee County or Oglethorpe County for the waning crowds starting back home.
In Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, the annual number of DUI arrests in Athens has been steadily decreasing over the years. For example:
- In 2007, there were 827 Athens Georgia arrests within the County.
- By 2018, that number of drunk driving arrests in Clarke County had dropped to 350 arrests.
- This year (2025), fewer than 250 DUI arrests will likely be made. About one-third to 35% will involve someone associated with the University of GA Athens.
As one of Georgia's city & county "consolidated" towns, Clarke County was the Athens, GA county. Clarke County was much larger until 1875, when Oconee County was formed by an act of the Georgia General Assembly, all of which was carved out of Clarke County.
So, what used to be the City of Athens GA police department is now expanded to the entire county and is responsible for the highest number of arrests.
The Proliferation of Bars in Athens GA Has Created Danger for Students
This includes fans at NCAA tennis matches and other sports events and several live music events at several different venues. With over 125 Athens Georgia bars, many people meet here, too. In 1980, fewer than 6 bars were located downtown.
The University of Georgia Athens is the leading "institution" in the county, and its largest employer.
As such, plus being a well-known SEC sports power, it draws in thousands of young adults to the area. These events often mean out-of-towners consuming alcohol before driving home.
UGA has become a top-20 public university over the last two decades. The HOPE scholarship program, initiated by former Governor Zell Miller, has elevated UGA to global recognition. This is a remarkable and successful free college education, es evidenced by this quote from Wikipedia:
“The HOPE Scholarship program still to this day provides Georgia students with an opportunity to attend a public college or university, who otherwise may have no opportunity to do so.”
In 2025, more than 30 years later, UGA now beats prestigious, private Emory University in GPA scores and in its national reputation for excellence. For the Class of 2024, UGA recalculated the median GPA of accepted students based on core courses.
The admitted students had an average GPA of 4.19 out of a possible 4.50. So, U.G.A. has quickly become a top 20-rated public University in the United States.
The U.S. News & World Report had this to say about the Athens institution:
- UGA often ranks in the top 20 public universities.
- In 2025, UGA is tied for #18 in Top Public Colleges and Universities.
- UGA is ranked #46 among all National Universities, which includes Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, Stanford and Dartmouth.
Once arrested, and NOT having their plastic license, our clients are usually extremely concerned about safeguarding their right to drive. Also, most of those leaving the Athens GA jail know that they need to find a legal warrior that can seek a non-DUI resolution to their DUI criminal case, if feasible.
To achieve both, it's essential to have legal advice to navigate your legal options for trying to NOT have a criminal record of DUI. This is extremely important because the Peach State does NOT have any method of "masking," removing, erasing, or hiding this conviction FOR THE REST OF THE OFFENDER'S LIFE!
The first order of business is often the filing of a DDS GA appeal within 30 days post-arrest. For those age 21 and over, many will opt for a 2nd alternative, which is choosing to install and pay for the 12-month ignition interlock device (IID) for a single vehicle, for your driving needs.
Most first offence DUI cases will start at the Municipal Court Athens GA. Recently, Georgia DUI laws found in OCGA § 40-6-391 were amended, making any repeat DUI offenders UGA be at risk of lengthy jail time sentences for any 2nd DUI or 3rd DUI convictions (120 days or more).
Any repeat offender arrested for driving under the influence in Athens, Georgia, will start in the State Court of Athens-Clarke County. This is for those with a conviction in the past 10 years. The court will explain the DUI Court program as an alternative.
The Administrative License Suspension Aspect of Your GA DUI Case
WARNING: If you are arrested for a DUI in Athens GA and have your driver's license confiscated, this is significant. Georgia (and all other states) has what are called "implied consent" laws.
Implied consent means that you are facing an immediate administrative license suspension. These statutes can be found in OCGA Section 40-5-67.1 and OCGA § 40-5-67.1 This only focuses on your ability to keep driving, not any criminal law punishment. Your PHONE CALL is FREE, and the ADVICE is FREE! 1-800-462-8222 (which spells 1-800-GO-BUBBA).
You MUST either file an appeal with Georgia DDS within 30 days OR (for some Georgia licensees) you may be eligible under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64.1 for installing a 12-month IID (ignition interlock device) that can permit interlock-restricted driving for twelve full months.
Choosing an Attorney: Public Defender or Private Legal Counsel?
Both the Athens-Clarke County Municipal Court and State Court offer public defenders to those with low incomes facing DUI charges. No matter if you can afford a private DUI-DWI attorney, you NEED TO BE REPRESENTED in Court.
To apply for representation by the public defender, you must apply to the Office of the Public Defender at 440 College Avenue, Suite 220, Athens, GA 30601 and pay a $50 application fee. Our firm is a private criminal law firm, traveling statewide to defend those who need our legal help.
Athens-Clarke County Information on Various Criminal Courts
If you are arrested for DUI within Athens, you may be sent to either the Municipal Court of Athens-Clarke County or the State Court, depending on your charges and location of the offense.
The Municipal Court is located at 325 E. Washington St, Suite 170, Athens, GA 30601. This is the main Athens GA Courthouse, for all criminal court cases.
The State Court is located at 325 E. Washington St, Suite 425, Athens, GA 30601 and is presided over by Chief Judge Charles E. Auslander, III and Judge Ryan Hope, who previously was acting as the Athens Municipal Court Judge. Both judges share responsibility in overseeing the DUI Court program.
Contact the Best DUI Attorney Today for Your Athens-Clarke County DUI Case
DUI cases rely heavily on police observations, field sobriety tests, and breathalyzer/blood test results. Be aware that NO ONE must attempt field sobriety tests in Georgia! Watch Mr. Head’s short video to “educate” yourself on this little-known fact.
These roadside exercises that you have watched on TV or YouTube are 100% optional. Yet, after being cuffed and arrested, many people believe that they have no chance of winning, which is not true.
With our collective 92 years of criminal law experience, and over 10,000 drunk driving cases handled, our 700-plus 5-star ratings on AVVO.com tell a different story. This true account of an Athens man facing his 8th DUI arrest is proof positive that ANY case may have flaws and officer mistakes which open the door to a “way to win.”
Call us 24 hours a day at no cost at 1-800-462-8222 (1-800-GO-BUBBA) and our lawyers for DUI near me will provide you with a complimentary evaluation of your pending DUI case.
Beginning in 1976, William C. ”Bubba” Head, DUI attorney Athens GA, has been a top DUI attorney in Athens, Georgia. In 2025, he is one of 3 Board-Certified D.U.I. lawyers in the entire State of Georgia, under guidelines for Board Certification set by the American Bar Association.
His first book on DUI laws, 101 Ways to Avoid a Drunk Driving Conviction, was written in 1991, and is still highly sought after. Plus, he self-published The Georgia DUI Trial Practice Manual in 1995, before the annual update rights were purchased first by the Harrison Company, before being bought out by Thomson-Reuters.
Mr. Head founded the national DWI-DUI lawyer directory DrunkDrivingDefense.com in May of 1996, when the Internet was just getting started. This directory was started before the national lawyer directories HG.org and Findlaw.com were launched.
He and partners Larry Kohn and Cory Yager now update the book each year, to keep Georgia attorneys up to speed on changes in Georgia laws. Mr. Head has co-authored over a dozen other legal books on DWI vs DUI laws in many states.
Athens GA DUI attorney William C. Head is now our senior partner at our Athens DUI lawyer firm. Regardless of Georgia court location for a DUI charge, the veteran criminal litigation attorney will be one of the top-rated DUI attorneys near me compared to the local DUI lawyers.
Our firm's other two law partners are among the top DUI defense lawyers practicing DUI/DWI in the Athens, GA area. See for yourself by comparing legal industry attorney ratings credentials with any Athens lawyer or other law firms in Athens GA.
While some criminal defense lawyers may not have the background to know that there are many known issues with all these forms of evidence, our legal team has undergone extensive training on how these tests are conducted and the arguments that can be used to challenge the officer's observations.
When you hire one of our drunk driving attorneys near me for DUI defense, you have done all you can to protect your future. After all, our three law partners are the co-authors of the State's leading BOOK on Georgia DUI laws.
For example, most arrests in Athens-Clarke County are videotaped from the police car and/or by police officer bodycams. Our three Athens Georgia DUI lawyers know how to get copies of these tapes (created by body cams from any law officer involved in your case) that may contain crucial evidence to support you in court.
Additional Related Athens-Clarke County Georgia Links:
If I refused the post-arrest testing, should I install an ignition interlock device, and pay for the IID limited permit?
When is a DUI a felony in Georgia?
Can I start performing community service prior to the case being finalized?
Is DUI Court my best option on my Athens Clarke County 2nd DUI?
Athens GA DUI lawyer Information about felony DUI 4th offense
Link to locate an online DUI school Athens GA
