1,500+

CRIMINAL DEFENSE CASES

13+

YEARS EXPERIENCE

24/7

AVAILABILITY & SUPPORT

70+

5-STAR REVIEWS

$0

FREE CONSULTATIONS

DON'T LET A DUI CHARGE RUIN YOUR LIFE!

Write down what you remember, and how the stop unfolded. Memory fades fast. Details that feel small are often important to the case.

Document everything you remember.

Receive a call-back from senior lawyer Ronald Desnoyers, typically in under 2 hours. 

A first arrest is the most common, and the most negotiable. In Rhode Island, these cases often resolve as a refusal plea with the DUI dismissed, preserving your record and your insurance.

First-Offense DUI

Exposure · Misdemeanor · BAC-tiered penalties

Penalties escalate sharply. A second offense remains a misdemeanor, but a third offense becomes a felony. The defense approach is the same.

2nd & 3rd DUI Offense 

Exposure · Felony Exposure

In Rhode Island, refusing a chemical test triggers its own civil case at the Traffic Tribunal. The DUI is handled in District Court; a first offense refusal is handled at the Traffic Tribunal. We manage both proceedings.

Breath-Test Refusal

Exposure · Civil + Criminal

Defendants under 21 face zero-tolerance rules with a 0.02 BAC threshold. We work to protect college admissions, license eligibility, and future employment from a single bad night.

Underage DUI

Exposure · 0.02 BAC Threshold

Rhode Island's DUI statute covers prescription medication, marijuana, and controlled substances. These cases turn on DRE evaluations and blood-test chain of custody, both worth challenging.

Drug-Impaired Driving

Exposure · Same Statute As Alcohol

A DUI or refusal charge can suspend your license before your case is resolved. A hardship license keeps you driving for work and essential needs, and Ronald handles the motion and interlock paperwork.

License & Hardship

Exposure · Tribunal Hearings

For a DUI arrest, you are typically arraigned within a couple of hours at the police station by a Justice of the Peace, then released to a sober adult. Retaining a lawyer at this point is critical.

Retain counsel.

After arraignment, Ronald files a motion for discovery and a supplemental motion requesting body cam, dash cam, and station video. Police are required to produce it.

Preserve evidence.

Your DUI moves through District Court; any refusal charge moves through the Traffic Tribunal. Ronald handles both together.

Address the license & case.

Ronald walks you through what happened, where you were coming from, how much you had to drink, and what you told the officer. The state has their version. You need yours.

Collect your version of events.

Trial, plea, dismissal. Each option has a price and a probability. You make the call, informed, not pressured.

Decide on the path.

Ronald Desnoyers

1,500+

Cases

You reach the office directly. A short phone call covers the facts, dates, and court info, so you know your options. Free, no commitment.

SAME DAY

The call.

Ronald gathers as much information as possible prior to the initial consultation. The first meeting is about strategy, not paperwork.

BEFORE WE MEET

The file, reviewed.

Plea, dismissal, refusal-plea negotiation, or trial, your call, with best and worst case laid out honestly. We keep you informed and tell you what to expect.

RESOLUTION

The decision.

Motion practice plus review of breathalyzer calibration records and officer certification. A lapsed certification means the officer was unauthorized to administer the test.

WEEKS 1-2

The work.

Our client was charged with driving under the influence after submitting to a breath test. We conducted discovery and discovered that the police officer who administered the breath test allowed his certification to lapse. We drafted a motion to suppress the breath test results, leaving the prosecution with no evidence whatsoever against our client. As a result, the case was dismissed and expunged from our client’s record.

Officer's breath-test certification had expired.

I've never felt as confident in any medium of legal representation as I've felt being represented by Ron. His commitment to my well being has been unwavering and secondary to none other.

E.J. Dordain

Ronald is the best attorney in Rhode Island. Whenever you have a question, he always answers you and is very patient with everything, he explains everything to your understanding.

Jhonatan Castro

Ron was very thorough at a time in my life when I was terrified. He got my case dismissed and I recommend him 100%. Thank you Ron for all that you did for me.

Lisa Levine

DUI convictions cannot be expunged in Rhode Island under § 12-1.3-2. A dismissed case, however, qualifies for expungement. We walk through what applies to your case in the free consultation.

Can a DUI be expunged in Rhode Island?

It depends on the charge. A refusal results in immediate suspension at your Traffic Tribunal arraignment. If you took the breath test, a first-offense DUI does not trigger an immediate suspension. A hardship license may be available after interlock installation, once a motion is drafted, filed, and heard by a judge.

Will I lose my license immediately?

Arraignment is mandatory in both courts. For the DUI at District Court, you can skip the first pre-trial but must appear for every one after. At Traffic Tribunal, you appear for arraignment but not for pre-trials.

Will I have to go to court?

Fees vary by case complexity. First-time offenses with strong defenses are typically resolved efficiently. The initial consultation is free and there is no obligation. We discuss cost during the consultation so you can decide before you commit, and so you never get a bill for a question.

How much does a DUI lawyer cost?

Yes. Ronald regularly represents Massachusetts and Connecticut residents charged with DUI in Rhode Island. Rhode Island is a reciprocal state but can only suspend your driving privilege here, not your home-state license.

Do you handle out-of-state drivers?

Most first-offense cases resolve in 30 to 60 days. Complex cases, and trials may extend that timeline. We keep your case moving.

How long does a Rhode Island DUI case take?

Our client, who holds a professional license, was charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a chemical test. She also received numerous moving violations. We filed a motion for a hardship license before her arraignment, which was granted. We conferenced the case at the Traffic Tribunal and District Court and negotiated dismissal of the DUI in exchange for a plea to the refusal. All moving violations were dismissed, and the DUI was expunged from our client’s record. More importantly, our client suffered no adverse action against her professional license.

Dismissal of the DUI in exchange for a plea to the refusal

Our client was charged with driving under the influence and refusal to submit to a chemical test. Before retaining our office, he attended all DUI-related court dates but missed his arraignment date for the refusal. As a result, he was found guilty of the refusal, and the court imposed the maximum penalties. Although the court imposed the maximum penalties for the refusal, the prosecutor refused to dismiss the DUI. After being retained, we moved to vacate the default at the Traffic Tribunal. We then secured an agreement with the prosecutor that the DUI would be dismissed in return for a plea to the refusal. After reviewing all the evidence, we were able to negotiate the minimum penalties for the refusal, and the DUI was dismissed.

Dismissal of the DUI in exchange for a plea to the refusal

Our client was charged with driving under the influence, second offense, which carries a mandatory prison sentence. After several pretrial conferences, we were able to convince the judge to impose home confinement in lieu of a prison sentence. As a result, our client was able to serve his sentence at home rather than in a prison cell.

Convinced the judge to impose home confinement in lieu of a prison sentence