Hamilton County OWI & DUI Defense
Charged with OWI or DUI in Hamilton County?
Speak directly with Noblesville OWI defense attorney Trampas Whalin. Not an intake coordinator, not a case manager. Free, confidential consultation.
- Over 15 years of Indiana practice
- Former public defender
- Free, confidential consultation
- You speak with the attorney
Tell us what happened
Confidential. No obligation. Attorney Whalin reviews every message.
Why the timing matters
An OWI arrest starts two cases, not one.
An OWI arrest in Indiana puts your license, your record, and often your job in play at the same time. The days right after an arrest are the days when the most can be done.
Track one
The criminal charge
Moves through the Hamilton County courts
Initial hearing, pretrial, and resolution. This is the part most people are thinking about, and it is the part that moves slowly enough to plan for.
Track two — moves faster
Your driver's license
Moves through the BMV, on its own schedule
Raising it at your initial hearing can stay the suspension before it begins. Most people do not know the window exists until it has already passed.
OWI, DUI, DWI
In Indiana, these are all the same charge.
OWI stands for operating while intoxicated. It is the term Indiana uses for what many other states call DUI or DWI. You will see both locally, and they refer to the same category of offense.
A first OWI is usually a misdemeanor. An alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but less than 0.15 is a Class C misdemeanor, and 0.15 or higher is a Class A misdemeanor, as is operating in a manner that endangers another person. It becomes a Level 6 felony with a prior OWI conviction in the previous seven years, and a more serious felony where an OWI causes serious bodily injury or death.
An OWI case is won or lost in the details, and most of them are on the front end. We look at why you were stopped, how field sobriety testing was conducted, whether the chemical test was administered within the window Indiana allows, and whether the equipment and the operator were properly certified. When those details do not hold up, the case changes.
Where the facts allow, we pursue dismissal, suppression, diversion, or a resolution that protects what matters most to you. Where they do not, we are prepared to try the case.
The attorney on your case
You get Trampas Whalin.
Not an associate, not a case manager. He started out as a public defender, which is where trial lawyers learn the work: real cases, real hearings, and a close view of how the state builds a file.
More than fifteen years on, he has defended adults and juveniles across Indiana on everything from a first OWI to the most serious felonies, securing dismissals, diversion agreements, and not guilty verdicts at jury trial. He has lived in Noblesville since 2010, and your case will move through the same courtrooms, judges, and prosecutors he works with every week.
- Over 15 years of Indiana practice
- Former public defender Where trial lawyers learn the work
- President Hamilton County Bar Association
- Indiana Rising Stars Selected by Super Lawyers
- 10.0 rating Avvo
- Federal admissions N.D. and S.D. Indiana
Where we appear
Serving drivers across Hamilton County and central Indiana
Whalin Legal regularly appears in the Hamilton County courts in Noblesville and represents drivers throughout the surrounding counties and across the state.
- Noblesville OWI and DUI defense
- Carmel drunk driving charges
- Fishers OWI arrests
- Westfield DUI cases
- Indianapolis and Marion County
- Madison, Boone, Hancock, Hendricks and Tippecanoe Counties
- Charges arising from Ruoff Music Center and Deer Creek
- Courts throughout all 92 Indiana counties
“Trampas was open and honest with me from the very beginning, giving me realistic expectations and opinions about the potential outcome of my case. He was focused and thorough. He represented me as though I were his only client.”
— Stephanie, Whalin Legal client
Every case is different. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case, and no representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. This client statement reflects one person’s experience and is not a promise of any particular result.
Common questions
Answered plainly
OWI stands for operating while intoxicated. It is the term Indiana uses for what many other states call DUI or DWI. You will see both locally, and they refer to the same category of offense.
A first OWI is usually a misdemeanor. An alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but less than 0.15 is a Class C misdemeanor, and 0.15 or higher is a Class A misdemeanor, as is operating in a manner that endangers another person. It becomes a Level 6 felony with a prior OWI conviction in the previous seven years, and a more serious felony where an OWI causes serious bodily injury or death.
Possibly, and sooner than you expect. Refusing a chemical test carries a one-year suspension, or two years with a prior OWI conviction. A test showing prima facie evidence of intoxication carries 180 days, or until the charges are resolved, whichever comes first. These run separately from any suspension a court orders after a conviction.
Consultations are free. Contact us today and we will discuss what you are facing and what representation would involve before you make any commitment.
We regularly appear in the Hamilton County courts in Noblesville and represent clients in Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, and Indianapolis. Attorney Whalin is admitted in Indiana state courts and in the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.
Attorney Trampas Whalin. Not an associate, not a case manager. You speak directly with the attorney handling your case from the first conversation.
Talk to the firm
The days right after an OWI arrest are the days when the most can be done.
Whalin Legal represents clients in Noblesville, Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Indianapolis, and courts throughout Indiana.
Call or send a message to schedule a free, confidential consultation. You will speak with the attorney who will handle your case.
Request a free consultation
Confidential. No obligation.