Aggressive DUI defense from an attorney who knows Fayette County courts — just 15 minutes from Lexington on I-75.
A DUI arrest in Lexington, Kentucky can upend your life. Fayette County is home to one of Kentucky's largest and most active law enforcement communities, and DUI enforcement throughout the city is aggressive. Whether you were stopped on New Circle Road during a late-night patrol, pulled over leaving a restaurant on South Limestone, or arrested at a checkpoint along Nicholasville Road, the consequences of a DUI conviction in Fayette County are severe — including jail time, license suspension, heavy fines, and a permanent criminal record that follows you for years.
Attorney Ashley Larmour provides experienced DUI defense for Lexington and Fayette County residents from her office in Georgetown, Kentucky — located just 15 minutes north of Lexington via I-75. She regularly appears in Fayette County courts and understands how DUI cases move through the local system, from arrest through resolution. If you have been charged with a DUI in Lexington, you need an attorney who will challenge the evidence, protect your rights, and fight for the best possible outcome.
Driving under the influence in Kentucky is governed by KRS 189A.010, which makes it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both. You do not have to be visibly intoxicated to be charged — exceeding the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit is enough for an arrest.
Kentucky enforces three BAC thresholds depending on the type of driver:
Kentucky also has an implied consent law under KRS 189A.103. By driving on any Kentucky road, you have already agreed to submit to chemical testing if an officer has reasonable grounds to believe you are impaired. Refusing a breathalyzer or blood test triggers an automatic license suspension and can be used as an aggravating factor at sentencing, resulting in harsher penalties even if the underlying DUI charge is eventually reduced.
Additionally, KRS 189A.010(11) identifies six aggravating circumstances that enhance DUI penalties: BAC of 0.15% or higher, excessive speed (30+ mph over the limit), wrong-way driving on a limited-access highway, causing an accident resulting in serious injury or death, refusing a chemical test, and transporting a child under 12 years of age. The presence of any one of these factors triggers mandatory minimum jail sentences and longer license suspension periods.
Understanding how a DUI case moves through the Fayette County court system helps you prepare for what lies ahead. Here is a general overview of the process from arrest to resolution:
After a DUI arrest in Lexington, you will typically be transported to the Fayette County Detention Center for booking and processing. You may be held until you are sober enough to be released, or you may be released on bond. The arresting officer will submit an arrest citation that serves as the formal charging document.
Your first court appearance will be an arraignment at the Fayette County District Court, located at 150 N Limestone, Lexington, KY 40507. At arraignment, the judge will inform you of the charges against you, advise you of your rights, and set conditions of release. This is also when you should have an attorney present. First-offense DUI cases and most second-offense DUI cases are handled at the District Court level. Third and subsequent offenses, as well as DUI cases involving serious injury or death, may be referred to Fayette Circuit Court for prosecution as felonies.
After arraignment, your case enters a pre-trial phase where your attorney and the prosecutor exchange evidence, review police reports, examine breathalyzer calibration records, and discuss potential resolutions. This is where an experienced DUI attorney can make a significant difference — identifying weaknesses in the prosecution's case, challenging improperly obtained evidence, and negotiating for reduced charges or alternative sentencing options such as diversion programs when available.
If a favorable resolution cannot be reached through negotiation, your case will proceed to trial. In Fayette County District Court, DUI trials are bench trials heard by a judge. If your case has been transferred to Fayette Circuit Court, you have the right to a jury trial. Attorney Larmour prepares every DUI case as if it is going to trial, ensuring that she is ready to aggressively challenge the prosecution's evidence before a judge or jury.
Kentucky DUI penalties escalate significantly with each subsequent offense within a 10-year lookback period. Even a first-offense DUI conviction carries serious consequences:
Beyond these criminal penalties, a DUI conviction creates collateral consequences that affect every part of your life. Your auto insurance rates will increase dramatically. Certain employers and professional licensing boards may take adverse action. A felony DUI conviction results in the loss of voting rights and firearms rights. For a comprehensive breakdown of penalties by offense level, visit our DUI Offenses & Penalties page.
Every DUI arrest involves a series of steps that must be performed correctly under the law. When law enforcement makes mistakes — and they do — those errors can be the foundation of a strong defense. Attorney Larmour examines every detail of your arrest and challenges the prosecution's case at every stage.
Under the Fourth Amendment, an officer must have reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or criminal activity to initiate a traffic stop. If the officer pulled you over without a legally sufficient reason — for example, based on an anonymous tip without corroboration, or because you were simply driving in a particular area late at night — any evidence obtained after the stop may be suppressed. Without that evidence, the DUI charge often cannot survive.
Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) are designed under controlled conditions, but roadside conditions are rarely controlled. Uneven pavement, poor lighting, inclement weather, footwear, physical conditions such as knee or back injuries, and even nervousness can all cause a sober person to perform poorly on field sobriety tests. Attorney Larmour evaluates whether the tests were administered according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) protocols and whether the officer's interpretation of the results was accurate.
Breath-testing instruments must be properly calibrated and maintained according to a strict schedule established by the Kentucky State Police. If the breathalyzer used in your arrest was not calibrated within the required timeframe, if the officer administering the test was not properly certified, or if the instrument had a history of producing unreliable results, the breath-test evidence may be challenged or excluded from your case.
If your BAC was determined through a blood draw rather than a breath test, the procedures surrounding the draw must comply with legal requirements. The blood must be drawn by a qualified medical professional, handled and stored in accordance with chain-of-custody protocols, and tested by an accredited laboratory. Errors in any part of this process — contaminated samples, improper storage temperatures, gaps in the chain of custody — can undermine the reliability of the blood-test results.
Alcohol takes time to be absorbed into the bloodstream. If you had your last drink shortly before driving, your BAC may have still been rising at the time you were stopped — meaning your BAC at the time of driving could have been below the legal limit even though it tested above 0.08% at the police station 30 to 60 minutes later. This rising BAC defense requires careful analysis of the timeline and expert testimony, but it can be an effective strategy in cases where the BAC reading was close to the legal threshold.
Certain medical conditions — including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux, and diabetes — can produce residual mouth alcohol or elevated acetone levels that cause falsely high breathalyzer readings. The officer is required to observe you for a minimum period before administering a breath test specifically to guard against mouth alcohol contamination. If this observation period was not properly conducted, the breath-test results may not accurately reflect your actual BAC.
When you are facing a DUI charge in Lexington, you want an attorney who combines genuine courtroom experience with personal accessibility. Attorney Ashley Larmour offers both.
Our office is located at 102 East Main Street, Suite 7, Georgetown, KY 40324 — a quick 15-minute drive north of Lexington on I-75. Take Exit 126 and you are practically at our door. Many Lexington clients appreciate the easier parking and less hectic environment compared to downtown Lexington law offices, while still having an attorney who knows the Fayette County courts inside and out.
Attorney Larmour is not an outsider appearing in Fayette County courts on rare occasions. She handles cases in Fayette County District Court and Fayette Circuit Court on a regular basis. She is familiar with the local judges, prosecutors, court procedures, and the way DUI cases are handled in the Lexington court system. That familiarity translates into more effective representation for you.
One of the most common complaints people have about attorneys is that they cannot get their calls returned. At Larmour Law Offices, you will not have that problem. Attorney Larmour keeps her caseload manageable so she can provide each client with the attention their case deserves. When you call or email, you get a response — not a runaround from a paralegal or receptionist.
We offer a $175 consultation for criminal defense matters, including DUI cases. During your consultation, Attorney Larmour will review the facts of your arrest, explain the charges and potential penalties you are facing, outline possible defense strategies, and answer your questions. You will leave the consultation with a clear understanding of your situation and your options — whether or not you choose to hire our firm.
Larmour Law Offices represents DUI clients from across Lexington and Fayette County, including residents of the following areas:
No matter where in Fayette County you were arrested, our Georgetown office is a short drive away. We handle DUI cases arising from traffic stops throughout the Lexington area — including arrests on major corridors like New Circle Road, Nicholasville Road, Richmond Road, Versailles Road, Harrodsburg Road, and along the I-75 and I-64 corridors through Fayette County.
Contact Larmour Law Offices today for an experienced DUI defense attorney who knows Fayette County courts.
Schedule a Consultation Call: 859-813-5614