Mark Polson Available

Mark Polson has spent more than four decades building a criminal defense practice concentrated squarely on driving-under-the-influence charges and impaired driving litigation. Operating out of Homewood on Central Avenue, the practice handles cases originating in Birmingham Municipal Court as well as district and circuit courts throughout Jefferson, Shelby, and surrounding counties. Rather than treating traffic citations as routine administrative matters, Polson addresses DUI accusations as complex evidentiary disputes requiring an immediate two-front response: contesting criminal penalties in court and countering automatic driver's license suspensions before the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Defending an impaired driving charge demands a technical examination of the state’s evidence, particularly where chemical testing and standardized field sobriety assessments are involved. Polson evaluates the precise calibration records for Draeger breath-testing instruments, verifies whether field tests like the horizontal gaze nystagmus or walk-and-turn strictly adhered to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration standards, and investigates whether law enforcement established legitimate reasonable suspicion for the initial vehicle stop. Because Alabama prosecutors can pursue convictions under both per se blood-alcohol thresholds and subjective impairment prongs simultaneously, case preparation requires examining the arresting officer’s subjective observations, dashboard camera footage, and testing anomalies.

The firm represents motorists across a wide continuum of circumstances, from first-time misdemeanor charges to complex felony cases involving accidents, bodily harm, or commercial driver’s license revocations. In first-offense cases, defense strategies frequently explore alternative resolutions, including pretrial diversion programs or statutory reductions that avoid mandatory jail time and long-term license loss. When clients face mandatory ignition interlock requirements or repeat allegations in municipal venues such as Hoover, Vestavia Hills, or Mountain Brook, the firm files targeted motions to challenge prior records, suppress unlawfully obtained blood or urine samples, and petition for conditional driving privileges.

Initiating a defense requires swift action due to strict statutory timelines in Alabama, most notably the mandatory 30-day window to file an administrative appeal challenging license revocation with the state licensing agency following an arrest or chemical test refusal. Prospective clients should gather all relevant documentation prior to an initial intake consultation, including the uniform traffic citation, bail bond receipts, towing invoices, and temporary driving permits. Initial case evaluations are structured to review the timeline of the traffic stop, establish court appearance schedules, and file timely administrative hearing requests before critical statutory deadlines expire.