Arrested for DUI in Louisville or Lexington? Don’t Risk Your Future.

While no result is guaranteed, we look for “Evidence Suppression” opportunities—such as lack of probable cause or procedural errors by police—that can lead to charges being dropped or significantly reduced.

A first, second, or third offense is typically a misdemeanor. However, a 4th DUI within a 10-year “lookback” period is a Class D Felony in Kentucky, carrying 1–5 years in prison.

We are fully licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and regularly defend clients in the Jefferson and Fayette County court systems. Our Cincinnati office serves as a centralized, high-resource command center. This allows us to bring elite-level, trial-tested resources directly to your local Kentucky jurisdiction without you needing to travel to us.

Legally, they refer to the same offense in the Bluegrass State. Kentucky statutory law specifically uses the term DUI (Driving Under the Influence), which encompasses operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or any combination that impairs your driving. While users often search for DWI (Driving While Intoxicated), your official court citation will list a DUI violation under KRS 189A.010.

Kentucky operates under an Implied Consent Law. If you refuse a chemical test after being lawfully arrested for a DUI, your driver’s license will be suspended at your very first court appearance (arraignment). Furthermore, if you are ultimately convicted of the DUI, the refusal acts as an “Aggravating Circumstance,” which doubles the mandatory minimum jail time you must serve.

For a standard first-offense DUI with no aggravating factors, jail time is not mandatory, though a judge has the discretion to sentence you to up to 30 days. However, if your case involves an Aggravator (such as a BAC of .15% or higher, refusing the test, speeding 30+ mph over the limit, or having a child under 12 in the car), there is a mandatory minimum of 4 days in jail that cannot be waived by the judge.

Kentucky enforces a strict 10-year lookback period. This means any prior DUI conviction on your record within the last 10 years will be used to elevate your current charge to a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th offense. The penalties scale drastically with each consecutive offense. A 4th DUI conviction within 10 years triggers an automatic Class D Felony, carrying a penalty of 1 to 5 years in a state penitentiary.

Yes, but it requires a waiting period. Under Kentucky law, a misdemeanor DUI conviction can generally be petitioned for expungement 5 years after you have successfully completed all aspects of your sentence, including probation, driver education classes, and the payment of all court costs and fines. Felony DUI convictions face significantly stricter limitations and require a complex legal analysis to determine eligibility.

While no ethical attorney can guarantee a specific outcome, charges can be dismissed or reduced through aggressive legal maneuvers. We meticulously audit the police report, the calibration records of the Intoxilyzer 8000 machine, and dashcam footage. If we uncover procedural errors, a lack of probable cause for the initial traffic stop, or improperly administered Field Sobriety Tests (FSTs), we immediately move for Evidence Suppression, which severely weakens the prosecution’s case.