DUI DEFENSE
A DUI charge in Teton County can threaten your driver's license, your job, and your freedom — often before you've had a chance to understand what the evidence actually says. These cases are not as straightforward as prosecutors make them appear, and the outcome is not always predetermined.
Teton Defense handles DUI cases in Teton County Circuit Court, Teton County District Court, Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and before the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) — the separate administrative process that can suspend your license independent of any criminal conviction.
What a DUI Charge Looks Like in Teton County
Under Wyoming law, a person is driving under the influence if they operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or higher, or while impaired by alcohol or controlled substances to a degree that renders them incapable of safely driving. In Teton County, DUI arrests typically arise from traffic stops on Highways 26, 89, 189, 191, 22, 390, or within the Town of Jackson — though Ethan has handled cases originating throughout the county and surrounding federal lands.
Potential consequences of a first-offense DUI in Wyoming include:
Up to 6 months in jail
Up to 3 years of probation
Fines of up to $750, plus court costs and surcharges
License suspension
Community service
Mandatory substance abuse assessment and treatment
Ignition interlock device requirements
Subsequent offenses carry significantly higher penalties. A fourth DUI within ten years is a felony.
The WYDOT Administrative Hearing — Don't Miss This Deadline
When you are arrested for a DUI in Wyoming, the arresting officer typically issues an Order of Suspension. You have only 20 days from the date of arrest to request a contested case hearing with WYDOT to challenge that suspension. If you miss that window, your Wyoming driving privileges will be suspended automatically — regardless of what happens in court — for three months. In most cases, Ethan generally recommends contesting the administrative suspension of your driving privileges because you are permitted to drive with no restrictions until the contested case hearing is resolved. Teton Defense ALWAYS handles the contested case hearing process as part of your case at no additional charge.
This hearing is entirely separate from your criminal case, and it requires a separate defense strategy. Ethan has won multiple WYDOT contested case hearings by demonstrating that deputies conducted improper traffic stops or failed to correctly administer breath testing procedures. The administrative hearing is an opportunity that many people forfeit simply by not acting quickly enough.
How DUI Cases Are Defended
DUI cases turn on the strength of the evidence. That evidence is not always as airtight as it looks on paper.
Traffic stop validity. Every DUI case begins with a traffic stop. If the deputy lacked reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or criminal activity, the stop itself may be unlawful — and evidence gathered as a result of an unlawful stop can be suppressed. Ethan has won DUI dismissals in Teton County after successfully arguing that deputies initiated stops without the required legal basis.
Detention without cause. Law enforcement officers must have reasonable suspicion of DUI sufficient to detain you to conduct a DUI investigation. If you were detained longer than necessary for the officer to issue a traffic violation and the officer did not have reasonable suspicion to believe you were driving under the influence, evidence of the DUI investigation may be thrown out.
Field sobriety tests. Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) — the walk-and-turn, one-leg stand, and horizontal gaze nystagmus — are only reliable indicators of impairment if administered correctly and under proper conditions. Physical conditions, footwear, road surface, lighting, and medical history can all affect performance, independent of alcohol.
Probable cause to arrest. Law enforcement officers must have probable cause to arrest you, i.e. reasonably trustworthy facts or circumstances to believe a crime has been committed or that evidence of a crime is present. Law enforcement officers must consider the totality of the circumstances available to them when determinning whether the probable cause standard is met. This includes driving behaviors prior to the stop, such as swerving over lane lines, hitting curbs, sudden braking, or driving significantly under the speed limit; observations made when the officer first speaks to you, including the smell of alcohol or marijuana, slurred speech, bloodshot or glassy eyes, fumbling for documents, or open containers/paraphernalia in plain view; and finally the roadside Investigation results, i.e. performance on Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) (e.g., the walk-and-turn or one-leg stand) or un-standardized tests, as well as any voluntary admissions of consuming alcohol or drugs. If the probable cause standard is not met, your case may be dismissed.
Implied Consent Advisement. The implied consent advisement is a formal notification law enforcement officers read to a driver suspected of a DUI. It informs the driver that, by operating a vehicle on public roads, they legally consented to chemical testing (breath or blood). If this advisement is not read, the breath, blood, or urine test result may be invalid.
Breath test procedures. Wyoming requires law enforcement to follow specific operational procedures when administering breath tests. Deviations from those procedures — including failures to observe the required waiting period, improper calibration, or failure to follow the operational checklist — can compromise the reliability of the result. Ethan has obtained dismissals of multiple Teton County DUI cases after establishing that deputies failed to follow required breath test protocols.
Blood test reliability. Blood tests introduce questions around proper collection, handling, storage, and chain of custody. Lab procedures and qualifications matter. If any of these areas are deficient, the blood test result may be invalid.
Results in DUI Cases
Ethan has won dismissal of multiple Teton County DUI cases — including cases dismissed after discovery of deputies' failures to follow the operational checklist during breath testing, and cases dismissed after successful arguments that deputies lacked reasonable suspicion for the initial traffic stop. He has also overturned numerous WYDOT administrative driver's license suspensions on similar grounds.
What Happens After a misdemeanor DUI Arrest in Teton County?
If this is your first time in the criminal court system and you want to understand what to expect at each stage of your case, read our guide: What Happens After a Misdemeanor Arrest in Teton County?
Teton Defense represents clients in DUI matters throughout Teton County, Wyoming, including Jackson, Wilson, Teton Village, Moose, Hoback, Kelly, and surrounding areas. Call (307) 219-3535 or schedule a free consultation below.