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If you were arrested for OUI anywhere in the state, a Maine OUI lawyer can look at the two cases that start at once: a criminal case in the county where you were stopped, and a separate BMV license suspension. We handle OUI defense in Maine courts and can explain how the license side fits in.
A former Maine Assistant District Attorney on our team
Offices in Kennebunk, Brunswick and Portland
Confidential. Reviewed by an attorney, not an intake service.
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An OUI arrest starts a criminal case in court and a license case at the BMV. They run on different schedules, and the result of one does not decide the other. Criminal OUI in Maine is the name for the court side.
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Stops happen on the Turnpike, I-295, state routes and town roads, at any hour. An OUI case can begin as an ordinary traffic stop.
The test that matters is usually the one taken after the arrest, not the roadside screening. For people searching how to get out of an OUI in Maine, one question is whether that evidence was conducted properly under Maine law.
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OUI cases are generally heard in the county where the stop happened and move through arraignment and a dispositional conference. A Maine OUI plea bargain, if one is offered, is discussed there with your OUI defense attorney.
The most serious OUI charges.
Operating under the influence off the road.
We handle felony cases in all 16 Maine counties, and misdemeanor cases in Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Sagadahoc and York counties. Whether you need a Maine DUI lawyer, a DUI attorney in Maine or an OUI lawyer in Maine, your case is generally heard in the county where you were stopped, and our Maine OUI attorneys can tell you which courthouse that is.
Kennebunk office
Brunswick office
Portland office
Portland is in the Old Port, Kennebunk on Main Street and Brunswick on Maine Street. All meetings are by appointment.
Fill in the form or call 207-571-8146 needed to talk with a Maine OUI attorney. A Maine DUI attorney on our team can go over your summons with you at a consultation.
The officer’s reasons for the stop and the arrest become part of the record.
What test was offered, and how it was given, goes into the record.
The BMV handles the administrative suspension separately from the court. A hearing request is due within 10 days of the suspension’s effective date.
The first court date, where the charge is explained and a plea is usually entered.
The prosecutor and the defense meet to discuss the case.
If the case is not resolved, it can go to evidentiary motion hearings and if necessary trial.
Founder and Managing Attorney William T. Bly is a seasoned trial lawyer with two decades of experience defending clients in Maine state and federal courts against charges ranging from OUI and drug trafficking to manslaughter and serious sexual assault, drawing on advanced training from Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College.
With nearly 25 years of experience as a former Maine Assistant District Attorney, seasoned trial attorney, and winning appellate advocate before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Attorney Feldman now brings rigorous preparation, an educator’s clarity, and nonjudgmental compassion to his criminal defense clients.
A first or second OUI within 10 years is a Class D crime, which is not felony-level. It becomes Class C, a felony-level charge, with two or more prior OUI offenses within 10 years or a serious bodily injury. It is Class B if it causes a death or the person has certain prior felony-level OUI convictions.
A first offense carries at least a $500 fine and a 150-day license suspension. The minimums rise with each prior offense within 10 years, and judges can impose more than the minimum. A Maine DUI attorney can explain which penalties apply to a specific charge at a consultation.
Criminal OUI is the court charge, separate from the BMV license suspension. The State must prove the person operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants, or with an alcohol level of 0.08 or more. A first or second offense is Class D, and the case is generally heard in the county where the stop happened.
For a first offense, a work-restricted license may be possible. After a court suspension, a driver who has served two-thirds of it and completed DEEP can apply. A BMV-only suspension can allow an earlier application, and after a first-offense refusal a driver can apply after 6 months with DEEP complete.
A first refusal brings a 275-day administrative license suspension, and later refusals bring longer ones. The refusal can be used as evidence at trial and raises the minimum penalties after an OUI conviction. Before the test, the officer must warn the driver about these consequences.
Maine does not offer expungement, and under current law an OUI conviction is not eligible for sealing, which applies mainly to Class E convictions. For penalty purposes, Maine looks back 10 years at prior OUI offenses when setting the minimums for a new charge.
We have offices in Kennebunk, Brunswick and Portland and focus on criminal and OUI defense in Maine, from a first offense to aggravated OUI in Maine. People comparing Maine OUI lawyers, or searching for the best OUI lawyers in Maine or the best DUI attorney in Maine, can call 207-571-8146 with questions first. A Maine OUI defense attorney on our team can talk through your case at a consultation.
We are a boutique law firm, and we stand out by prioritizing our clients’ well-being. At The Maine Legal Group, our experienced team offers personalized attention in both criminal defense and divorce cases.
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