How Fortress Law Group Turned a DUI Arrest in Ohio Into a Full Acquittal at Trial
The Californer/10351888

CLEVELAND & WILLOUGHBY, Ohio - Californer -- Fortress Law Group, LLC, a criminal defense and OVI firm based in Willoughby, Ohio, secured a full acquittal for a client who faced a combined OVI charge and a felony charge for having a firearm in the vehicle while driving intoxicated. Following a jury trial in Medina Municipal Court, the client was found not guilty on all OVI charges, and the accompanying felony charge was dismissed.

The case centered on an OVI charge compounded by a felony firearm allegation, a combination that raises the stakes of a DUI defense considerably given the potential for enhanced sentencing. Attorney Matthew C. Bangerter, founder of Fortress Law Group and a former Assistant Prosecutor in Lake County, Ohio, built the defense around a detailed review of the arrest procedure, field sobriety evidence, and testing methods used by law enforcement, presenting the case to a jury rather than accepting a plea.

More on The Californer

• The City's Most Elegant Open-Air Dinner Party Returns September 12, 2026
• Local groomer Katlin Molina earns Fear Free Groomer Certification
• Registration for Long Beach's Free After School Program Begins Aug. 10
• IEI's iVEC Edge Server Cuts AMR Fleet Management Deployment Cost
• Backtested Strategies Announces BTS Strength Zones — Dow-65 Stocks Backtest Results

"Every OVI case carries real consequences for the person facing it, but when a felony charge is added, the risk multiplies," said Bangerter. "Our job is to examine every piece of evidence and hold the state to its burden of proof."

Fortress Law Group has represented clients in DUI, OVI, and broader criminal defense matters across Northeast Ohio since 2009. The firm's case history includes dismissals, reduced charges, and trial acquittals in OVI cases ranging from first offenses to repeat violations, an approach the firm attributes to Bangerter's background in criminal procedure, forensic evidence, and his academic training in biochemistry.

About Fortress Law Group, LLC

Fortress Law Group, LLC, formerly known as Bangerter Law Office, is a Willoughby, Ohio-based criminal defense firm founded in 2009 by Matthew C. Bangerter, Esq. The firm represents clients throughout Northeast Ohio in DUI/OVI, drug crime, violent crime, and felony defense matters. Bangerter is a former Assistant Prosecutor in Lake County, Ohio, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. More information is available at https://www.bangerterlaw.com.