St. John, IN DUI & OWI Lawyer

Your St. John DUI Lawyer - Attorney Steve E. Haddad

If you get caught drunk driving in the state of Indiana, you could face very serious consequences, ranging from a Class A misdemeanor all the way up to a felony offense. If you have been arrested for drunk driving, it is imperative that you call an experienced DUI attorney immediately.  Steve E. Haddad, Attorney At Law has been practicing DUI, OWI & criminal defense since 2000.

Steve E. Haddad, Attorney At Law, represents clients charged for crimes including DUI & drugged driving. He will try to uncover weaknesses in the State’s evidence against you. His goal in each DUI case is to limit the life-changing effect of a DUI conviction by either reducing the charges or having the case dropped completely.

Indiana and Illinois State Law Abbreviations

• DUI - Driving under the influence
• DWI - Driving while intoxicated
• OVWI - Operating a vehicle while intoxicated
• OWI - Operating While Intoxicated
• FST Field sobriety tests
• PBT Portable Breath test
• HGN Horizontal gaze nystagmus

DUI Consequences, Fines & Sentencing

Legal & insurance consequences follow a DUI conviction, including fines, jail time, or license suspension. A DUI conviction is classified as a Class C misdemeanor if it is the person’s first DUI offense, and their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is over .08%, but less than 0.15%. However, the DUI offense is increased to a Class A misdemeanor if the operation of the vehicle while intoxicated endangers a person or if the person’s BAC is over .15%. The penalties given by the court vary depending on the state. In the state of Indiana, a Class C misdemeanor carries a maxim:

• Up to 365 days for a failed test depending on whether the DUI is charged as a Class A misdemeanor or a Class C misdemeanor
• 1 year if there is a refusal to take the chemical test

The BMV Will Reinstate A Driver’s License if the Following Circumstances:

• If the DUI charge is dismissed
• The offender was found not guilty of the DUI charge

The time the offender’s driver’s license was administratively suspended for failing a chemical test will be credited toward the court suspension, but if the defendant is ineligible to receive the credit toward the court suspension if the license suspension because they refused a chemical test.

Steps To Take After A DUI Arrest In Indiana And Illinois

• No statements to the police, just hand the police your license, registration & proof of insurance. While the officer has never spoken to you before, the officer will indicate in the police report that you had slurred speech, most likely, even if that is not true.
• Request an Indiana BMV hearing and/or specialized driving privileges immediately. Speak with your DUI attorney about time restrictions.
• Hire Steve E. Haddad, Attorney At Law to assess the facts of your case before your initial hearing or your next pre-trial conference. It is important to hire Steve soon because the wheels of justice move slowly and it will take time to receive evidence you will request from the state & others.
• Do not assume that you are guilty & do not plead guilty. Most people charged with a DUI do not realize that there are DUI defenses to argue in most cases. DUI’s involve scientifically complex evidence that the police are required to collect following certain procedures. Failure to follow these procedures can lead to inaccurate results. That is why there are procedures. Having Steve. E. Haddad, Attorney At Law reviewing the evidence is the only way to find out if the police and State of Indiana have the evidence necessary to convict you.

Experienced OWI Lawyer For St. John, Indiana

An OWI conviction in Indiana can result in serious repercussions in multiple areas of your life. From the potential for jail time to the loss of your driver’s license, an OWI is no small matter and despite a common belief, these charges are defensible. That is why it’s so important to schedule a consultation with Steve E. Haddad, Attorney At Law right away!

Steve E. Haddad, Attorney At Law can work to protect your freedoms & good social standing. When you hire him to represent you, he will take the time to listen to your story, form a personal relationship with you and guide you through your legal options. His mission is not only to defend your rights but to build a trusting relationship with you. These 2 elements can strengthen your case in immeasurable ways because the more he gets to know you, the more information he can use to champion your freedom.

OWI Laws in Indiana - OWI Defense in Lake County Indiana

Operating while intoxicated (OWI) is illegal. Most people say “DUI,” which stands for driving under the influence, but the state of Indiana coined this offense “OWI.”

To legally operate a vehicle in Indiana, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) must be .08% or below if you’re 21 or older. If you’re under 21 years of age, the legal BAC limit is lower, .02%, because it’s not legal for you to drink.

The Following Consequences If Caught Driving with an Illegal BAC:

• Class A misdemeanor: Your BAC was .15 or more. This crime carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine
• Class C misdemeanor: Your BAC was at least 0.08 but less than .15. If convicted, you may face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine
• Level 4 felony: Your BAC was at least .08 and your offense caused death or catastrophic injury. This is punishable by up to 12 years in prison and $10,000 fines
• Level 5 felony: You have a previous conviction for an OWI causing death or catastrophic injury. This offense is punishable by a maximum of 8 years in prison and up to $10,000 fines
• Level 6 felony: You have a previous OWI conviction, or you’re at least 21 and committed an OWI in the presence of a passenger less than 18 years old. If convicted, you may suffer 2.5 years in jail and up to $10,000 fines.

Getting pulled over causes overwhelming anxiety for most drivers. It does not help when police officers are not friendly when they suspect someone of OWI. The breath test equipment they use to measure your BAC is often defective & inaccurate, leading to false test results.  These are some of the reasons you will need Steve E. Haddad, Attorney At Law’s OWI defense to expose flaws in the investigation against you and strongly advocate in your favor:

• Improper field sobriety test or breath test administration
• Illegal stop; lack of probable cause
• Broken or defective testing equipment
• Underlying medical conditions
• Not in actual physical control of the vehicle

The consequences of an OWI conviction extend beyond jail & fines. You could lose your license, meaning you would not be able to go to work or school, drive your children or go just about anywhere unless you use public transportation or ridesharing, both of which cost money.

About Steve E. Haddad

Pic­tured: Cap­tain Steve Had­dad (second from right) with mem­bers of his unit and some loc­als in Ir­aq

Steve E. Had­dad began prac­ti­cing law in Illinois and In­di­ana in the year 2000. Since then, he has es­tab­lished him­self as a suc­cess­ful sole prac­ti­tion­er in the Chica­go­land area.

At­tor­ney Steve Had­dad is a gradu­ate of Purdue Uni­versity Calu­met in Ham­mond, In­di­ana. and the Thur­good Mar­shall School of Law of Texas South­ern Uni­versity in Hou­s­ton, Texas. He gradu­ated Cum Laude in 1999.

At­tor­ney Steve E. Had­dad is a re­tired Cap­tain of the In­di­ana Army Na­tion­al Guard and had con­tinu­ally served his coun­try since 1988. He is a com­bat vet­er­an of Op­er­a­tion Ir­aqi Free­dom III and served on act­ive duty from Oc­to­ber 2004 un­til Janu­ary 2006. He speaks flu­ent Ar­ab­ic and that skill was key in com­mu­nic­at­ing with the loc­als in Ir­aq.

Steve Had­dad has also, on oc­ca­sion, vo­lun­teered to act as tem­por­ary judge in the Gary, In­di­ana Small Claims Court and for the City Court of of Ham­mond, In­di­ana. At­tor­ney Steve Had­dad is a gen­er­al prac­ti­tion­er who con­cen­trates on Im­mig­ra­tion, Crim­in­al, Real Es­tate, Civil, Es­tate Plan­ning, Ad­min­is­trat­ive Hear­ings, Di­vorce, Bank­ruptcy and Per­son­al In­jury. If you have any ques­tions, please feel free to con­tact the of­fice.

Call now for a consultation from an experienced DUI / OWI attorney at Steve E. Haddad, Attorney At Law. The initial consultation will assist Steve in gaining insight into your case to learn more about your DUI / OWI offense.