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Get the legal representation
you need
PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION.
Being charged with DUI or other crime needn’t stain your reputation. Barrett Law Center is a dedicated criminal law firm and helps civilians and veterans in the Charleston, South Carolina area deal with complicated legal issues. Don’t take on your problem alone. Hire an experienced criminal defense attorney for your criminal defense needs.
areas of practice:
Experienced Criminal Defense
We cover cases in Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Georgetown Counties along with other locations around South Carolina.
Meet
Michael Barrett
Michael is from Charleston, a graduate of The Citadel and Charleston School of Law. He is also a 22-year veteran, serving as an Army Infantry Officer in the Army Reserves with deployments to Afghanistan and Kosovo. He decided to become an attorney to help people fight for their rights, be it on the criminal side, the civil side, or even in administrative hearings. There are times when just having an attorney by your side can open up options in court that appearing on your own can not. These are things you cannot take for granted. Even if a case has been heard and adjudicated, there are still options to mitigate or relieve some of the repercussions, particularly with criminal cases. Expungements can be an option, depending on the conviction(s), time lapsed and past criminal history. Sometimes pardons can be attained through the state of South Carolina, which can reinstate some of your rights as a citizen. Criminal convictions that are serious enough can greatly impact your right to vote and your right to purchase and own a firearm.
DUI/DWI
Get your life back on track
If you’ve been charged with DUI in Charleston, SC, you’re probably a little worried about what to do next. There are over 100 different ways a DUI conviction can impact your life. Let an experienced DUI attorney help you. The Barrett Law Center DUI can assemble successful defenses for clients in the Charleston and Mt. Pleasant area. We have the resources and experience needed to successfully represent you. Michael knows the DUI laws in South Carolina and can defend them in all negotiations and/or court.
At the Barrett Law Center, Michael takes on all kinds of DUI cases. He works diligently toward the goal of reducing your charges and preventing a DUI from negatively affecting your life. Michael has attended and passed the 24-hour standard field sobriety test course (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) course) that law enforcement officers must attend before they can charge someone with DUI.
He has also attended and passed the NHSTA SFST Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), SFST Instructor, and Drug Recognition Expert familiarization classes. In addition, he has taken multiple classes on the Operation and Maintenance of the Datamaster DMT Breath Alcohol machine used in South Carolina.
Possible Consequences of a DUI Conviction
Suspension of Driver’s License
Restriction of License use to and from work and school
Loss of special commercial license endorsements
Purchase of special car insurance that includes proof of insurance component
Possible installation of Ignition Interlock Device in any vehicle driven or owned
Participation in DUI prevention education program for period of 3-30 months
Participation in driver safety class
Participation in AA meetings
Participation in MADD impact panel meeting
Participation in Hospital Morgue Program
Jail
Fines
Community Service
Electronic monitoring
Residential Treatment Program
Probation with terms that could include abstaining from alcohol, staying away from businesses that primarily sell alcohol, restriction on contact with other probationers, and waiver of Fourth Amendment right
Strain on marriage and relationships with friends and family
Paying for criminal defense lawyer or reimbursing government for court-appointed lawyer and payment or reimbursement of other trial-related expenses
Cancellation of or increase in cost of insurance
Denial of employment, loss of promotion, loss of job
Suspension from school / delay in graduation / interruption or reduction of student grants or loans
Revocation / suspension of professional / occupational licenses
Involuntary Separation from military service
Depression
Increase in health problems from stress
Loss of Sleep over anxiety contemplating potential consequences
Decline in productivity at work due to depression or anxiety
Modification of family law child custody orders reducing contact with children
Restrictions on travel: entry to some foreign countries
Delay or denial in obtaining U.S. citizenship
Creation of public record of arrest / conviction, and its disclosure to friends, family and neighbors may cause embarrassment, loss of reputation, denial of participation in youth sports, withdraw of marriage proposals
Damage to person or property from accident caused by driving while intoxicated with attendant liability
Denial of certain government loans or grants (PPP in Corona Stimulus)
Second or more Dui convictions have mandatory jail time
Boat Insurance can be denied or greatly increased
Loss of professional transportation licenses (Boating Captain, pilots, Commercial Drivers License, etc.)
Denial of company car / car insurance and rental cars
Sex Charges
If you have been charged with any sort of sex crime in South Carolina, you need representation immediately! In addition to fines and jail time, you also face the possibility of a lifetime sentence to the Sex Offender Registry (SOR). The SOR puts drastic limitations on your life even after jail and probation are finished. You will need an experienced attorney to help you fight these charges, particularly if they are brought by the Attorney Generals Office. These cases can last a long time and are very complex to defend, whether it be through fighting DNA and medical evidence, or computer and cell phone-based evidence. You need to hire an attorney that can competently represent you on these matters.
Drug Charges
Drug crimes are some of the most challenging to fight and can have long-lasting impacts on someone’s life. However, there are several strategies a professional criminal lawyer can use to fight your charges. Barrett Law Center will work hard to minimize the damage of your charges on your life.
First-time offenders charged with lower level drug offenses can often have their charges reduced or dropped with proper legal representation. Barrett Law Center can represent clients in courts across the state of South Carolina.
Other Criminal
Charges
Contact Us
Thank you for visiting the website of Barrett Law Center. Michael works hard to represent clients facing all kinds of legal issues in Charleston, South Carolina. You can count on him for aggressive representation after you’ve been charged with DUI or another criminal offense. Please call 843.408.8455 or complete the intake form below.
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