Downtown Offices 429 Walker Street Upper Level Augusta, GA 30901
Columbia County Offices 7013 Evans Town Center Boulevard Suite 303 Evans, GA 30809
JOHN P. MANTON III. John was born and raised in Great Falls, Virginia. After growing up in the Washington D.C. area, John attended the College of Charleston, in Charleston, South Carolina, where he graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science and was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. John attended George Mason University in Virginia for his legal education, where he obtained his Juris Doctorate in 2002.
John started his law career as a Georgia State prosecutor for three years prior to joining Shepard, Plunkett, Hamilton & Boudreaux in 2005. After joining the group, John obtained his license to practice law in South Carolina, allowing him to better represent his clients in Augusta, Evans, and Aiken County, South Carolina. John is an active member in the CSRA legal community with professional memberships in the Augusta Bar Association; State Bar of Georgia; State Bar of South Carolina; and the Young Lawyers Club of Augusta. John focuses his practice in the areas of: Real Estate; Civil Litigation; Personal Injury; Wrongful Death; Medical Malpractice; and Criminal Defense.
John currently resides in Augusta, Georgia with his wife Rebecca. John is involved in various community activities including the Southeastern Natural Science Academy and the Hephzibah Agricultural Club.
Areas of Practice:
20% Criminal
20% Real Estate
20% Personal Injury
40% Government
Bar Admissions:
Georgia, 2002
South Carolina, 2006
Education:
George Mason University School of Law, Arlington, Virginia, May, 2002 Juris Doctorate
College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, May, 1999 Business Administration
Professional Associations and Memberships:
Augusta Bar Association
Young Lawyers of Augusta
South Carolina Bar Association
Georgia Bar Association
Fraternities/Sororities:
Kappa Sigma
DUI defense
Augusta, Evans and Columbia County, Georgia, DUI Defense Attorneys
Even a first-offense DUI can lead to serious consequences for an offender. You may be forced to pay excessive fines, lose your license, or wind up in jail. It is critical that you hire an experienced DUI defense attorney as soon as possible after you have been charged.
At Shepard, Plunkett, our attorneys can evaluate your case to determine if there are grounds to challenge the evidence against you. If your guilt is not in question, our drunk-driving defense attorneys work with the court in exploring alternatives to lengthy license suspension and jail. Depending on your driving record, we may be able to reduce the charges or sentence against you.
When you are charged with a criminal DUI/DWI offense, quality drunk-driving defense is critical. Our firm can provide the legal support you need to protect your rights.
All of our criminal defense attorneys are highly experienced in the investigation of DUIs. We are diligent in the preservation and presentation of evidence to support your case. Our attorneys can appropriately assess the actions of the officer to determine whether there was an improper stop or improper administration of a breathalyzer or field sobriety test.
Protect Your Rights - Keep Your License - Stay Out of Jail
If you have been charged with a DUI, remember:
Law enforcement officers will begin collecting evidence against you from the moment you are pulled over. It is imperative that you protect your rights with a legal advocate you can trust. Our attorneys will immediately begin protecting your rights and building your case against the prosecution.
A police officer must have reasonable suspicion to pull you over. After you’ve been pulled over, the officer is supposed to conduct a field sobriety test in order to determine if he or she has probable cause to ask you to take a Breathalyzer test. An officer cannot stop you or perform a Breathalyzer unless they follow proper procedure or observe erratic driving behavior such as swerving, speeding, or some other driving offense.
You can defeat a DUI charge. With effective legal advocacy you may be able to defeat a DUI. Our attorneys will thoroughly investigate your case to identify weakness in the prosecution’s case. We are experienced with courtroom advocacy to effectively combat a DUI.
Drunk-Driving Penalties
While the court has some discretion in regard to sentencing, in general, the following penalties apply if you are convicted of drunk driving:
First-time DUI
Fine/fees: $300 to $1,000
License suspension: 1 year
Jail: 10 days to a year
Community service: 40 hours
DUI driver education: Mandatory
Second DUI within 10 years of first DUI conviction
Fine/fees: $600 to $1,000
License suspension: 3 years
Jail: 90 days to a year; at least 72 hours in jail is mandatory
Community service: A minimum of 30 hours
DUI driver education: Mandatory
Alcohol counseling: Mandatory testing to determine if alcohol treatment program is needed. Completion of alcohol program will be included in sentence if program is deemed necessary.
Ignition interlock device: If you need to drive to work or school, you can apply for a DUI hardship license. If granted, you will have to install (at your own expense) an ignition interlock device on your car for a period of at least 6 months
Third DUI within 10 years of first DUI conviction
Fine/fees: $1,000 to $5,000
License suspension: 5 years
Jail time: Mandatory 120 days to 12 months with a minimum of 15 days served
Community service: A minimum of 30 hours
DUI driver education: Mandatory
Alcohol counseling: Same as applies for second time DUI offenders
In addition to first-time DUI offenses, we also handle second or multiple drunk-driving offenses as well as drunk-driving accidents that may be charged as reckless homicide or manslaughter.
If you have been charged with underage drinking or teenage drunk driving, our attorneys will help you protect your immediate rights and your future.
If you need aggressive drunk-driving defense, contact an attorney now to get started protecting your rights.
Free consultations in select matters - Credit cards accepted - Call (706) 955-4185 or (706) 955-1670 today to speak with an experienced personal injury, criminal defense, or litigation attorney from either our Augusta or Evans, Georgia offices.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
TYPE OF CASES MY FIRM HANDLES I handle many types of criminal cases including Drinking and Driving (OWI/UBAC) and Traffic Offenses.
YOU SHOULD HIRE ME IF: You want an experienced trial attorney who will personally handle your file. I will not hesitate to go to trial on your case; that decision, however, will ultimately be yours.
IF YOU WANT TO TELL MY LAW FIRM ABOUT YOUR SITUATION YOU SHOULD: I will personally communicate with you. If I am in Court when you call, you can leave a message with my receptionist. I personally guarantee you will hear back from me in 24-hours or less. My office phone is (706) 955-4185
MY CLIENTS WILL TELL YOU THAT: My level of experience, knowledge of the law, and personal familiarity with the judges, prosecutors, and system is a great advantage. In addition, my personal and regular contact with clients, availability and involvement with every aspect of the case allows me to obtain the most favorable results.
MY PHILOSOPHY ON HOW I APPROACH EACH CASES IS: Depending on the type of case I like to find out as much as I can about the facts of the case and talk to anyone who can help our defense. At that time we can discuss our options. The stronger our defense appears to the prosecutor, the better our chances are of getting a favorable result.
IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MY FIRM YOU SHOULD: Call for a consultation at (706) 955-4185, during which I can answer all of your questions..
