The City of Atlanta Municipal Court is the starting point for DUI arrests made within the city limits of Atlanta. These cases include arrests. made by the Atlanta Police Department, the Georgia Department of Public Safety (Georgia State Patrol) and their Nighthawks Division, Georgia Tech Police, Georgia Capitol Police, Georgia State University Police, and Emory Police. People arrested by these police departments will be taken to the Atlanta Pre-Trial Detention Center where they will go in front of a Judge and bond will be set. Judges see inmates almost every day, however, if you are arrested over the weekend, it may be an extra twenty-four (24) hours before you see a Judge.

You will be given bond, and a date and time to return to court for arraignment. But before that, you need to make sure you protect your drivers license. You have 30 days from the date of your arrest to protect your drivers license to avoid suspension. Your options to protect your license differ based on the state you are licensed, your history of DUI arrests, and the method in which you want to proceed. Please check out a detailed explanation of your options after a City of Atlanta DUI arrest here.

Arraignment in the City of Atlanta Municipal Court will be at 150 Garnett Street, Atlanta, GA 30303, currently in courtroom 5D with Judge Terrinee L. Gundy. Due to the impact of COVID-19 on courts, it may be helpful to check on your court date frequently through the City of Atlanta Municipal Court website. That site is the best place to check for the current status of your court date and time through their online docketing system. Your case can be checked by name, citation, number, or license number. If your case is not immediately in the system, continue to check. You can also try and call the Clerk’s office at 404-954-7914. It is important to verify your court date and time. Currently (as of 9/27/2021) first court dates are being held at 11:00AM. At that court date the Judge will ask you if you have hired an attorney if you have not already, and give you a new court date in the future to provide the court an update of your attorney status and allow the City of Atlanta Solicitor’s office to gather all the evidence they intend to use to prosecute your case.

That evidence usually includes an officer’s incident report, the results of any chemical tests provided (if any), and body camera or dash camera video taken by the officer as they responded to the scene. All three types of evidence are not guaranteed in every case, and every person’s case is a little different. An experienced Atlanta DUI attorney can help you understand all the evidence in your case, give you the best possible options, and help you make an informed decision on how you want to proceed with your case. Once the evidence has been evaluated and all options have been discussed, you will return to court to let the Judge know if you want to resolve your case with a plea, or send the case to either Fulton or DeKalb County State Court depending on the location of the arrest, to continue negotiating your case or ultimately ask for a jury trial.

An Atlanta DUI is a serious misdemeanor charge. A conviction for Driving Under the Influence will be on your criminal history for the rest of your life. For a free consultation about your Atlanta DUI charge, please call 678-753-6431 or e-mail me at ryan@ryanwalshlegal.com.