Legal Defense of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Charges
We Don’t Defend Crimes.
We Defend People.
One of the slogans coined by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) goes like this: We don’t defend crimes. We defend people. As someone who has defended hundreds upon hundreds of people accused of driving under the influence (DUI) in my career, I am always quick to tell any critics that I do not defend the act of drunk driving. It is irresponsible. It is wrong. It is illegal with potentially very serious short and long-term ramifications. And while I do not condone the act, I do defend people who are accused of it.
Some DUI Charges Are Blatantly Wrong
I have represented individuals charged by the government with driving under the influence of the popular energy drink Red Bull (supposedly due to excessive caffeine), charged when the blood or breath alcohol content (BAC) results are under the legal limit, charged when officers confuse a medical condition with alleged impairment, and dozens of other radical scenarios.
Lance Mixon:
20 Years In DUI Defense
I spent 20 years combined between being a student law clerk and then a practicing attorney under the tutelage of Vic Carmody, an original Founding Member and Past Dean of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD). I am honored to have previously been involved with the NCDD, including having spent several years as the Mississippi Delegate to that organization, and also during which time I attended high level training seminars across the country, including at Harvard Law School. Additionally, I am past co-author of the Thomson Reuters publication, Mississippi DUI: Law and Practice (2009-2023 editions).
Member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association
As of 2024, I have joined the DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA) as one of just a few Mississippi attorneys within the organization. Within the DUIDLA, I will gain additional knowledge and grow my skills to more effectively help me represent my clients charged with this serious crime.
My DUI Defense Experience includes,
but is not limited to
- DUI with .08% or more Alcohol Concentration for Adults 21 Years Old and Older
- DUI with .02% or more Alcohol Concentration for Minors Under 21
- DUI with .04% or more Alcohol Concentration while Operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle
- “Common Law” DUI (meaning, without a valid and admissible BAC result)
- Driving Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance, such as Marijuana, Cocaine, etc.
- Driving Under the Influence of Any Other Substance that has caused Impairment to Operate a Motor Vehicle
- DUI by a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) holder in a Personal Vehicle
- DUI “Refusal” Administrative License Suspensions, Actions, and Hearings
Good people get DUIs. I help protect their future.
A DUI is probably the single most common crime that is charged against people of all backgrounds. From stay-at-home parents to factory workers to professional athletes to high-profile celebrities, law enforcement officers indiscriminately arrest people for this offense in every corner of America, every day.
Don’t Battle a DUI Charge Alone
The legal framework for representing someone in a DUI case is exhaustive. Not only do my clients face the damaging consequences of a potential criminal conviction, but they may also be subjected to the challenging & cumbersome tasks of handling driver’s license suspension issues with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety and/or the driver’s licensing agency of a different state. However, with the optimal knowledge, skills and strategies, the risks in these endeavors may be minimized and chances of success maximized.
DUI Is a Specialized Field
Brian Tannebaum wrote in his e-book, The Truth About Hiring a Criminal Defense Lawyer, “DUI is a specialized field.” I am in full alignment with that statement. It is a classic crime of “opinion,” usually based on subjective evidence of alleged impairment, or junk science in BAC testing equipment, or both. Advanced education and training that is specific to DUI Defense is always beneficial to the attorney representing the accused person.
Martin v. Commonwealth