Charles "Chuck" A. Ramsay

Charles A. Ramsay: Minnesota's Premiere DWI Defense Attorney

Mr. Charles A. Ramsay is Minnesota’s ONLY Board Certified lawyer in DWI Defense Law by the American Bar Association (not MSBA).

Ramsay is also a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) and has been a dedicated advocate in criminal defense since 1995. Known for his innovative approach, Mr. Ramsay has pioneered defenses in Minnesota, including challenges to faulty eyewitness identification, false confessions, and the right of defendants to present alternative suspects. His practice primarily focuses on DWI/DUI defense, including appeals and civil forfeitures related to alleged criminal conduct. He has successfully tried over 100 cases, securing not-guilty verdicts in most of them.

A U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Ramsay is a staunch defender of constitutional rights in trial and appellate courts, having appeared before the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court in over 100 cases. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and William Mitchell College of Law. Mr. Ramsay is one of only two Minnesota lawyers who completed the esteemed Robert F. Borkenstein Course on Alcohol and Highway Safety: Testing, Research, and Litigation at Indiana University in 2005.

Mr. Ramsay is an esteemed Minnesota Society of Criminal Justice (MSCJ) member, a select group of the state’s top 50 criminal defense attorneys. He is a founding DUI Defense Lawyers Association member and serves as a faculty member and state delegate for the National College of DWI Defense (NCDD). Additionally, he is an active member of the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL).

As a recognized expert in DWI defense law, Mr. Ramsay frequently serves as a faculty member at continuing legal education programs, teaching DWI defense strategies nationally and in Minnesota. He is currently faculty of the National College of DWI Defense. He has published extensively, including contributions to “Inside the Minds: Understanding DUI Scientific Evidence” and the Minnesota DWI Deskbook.

Mr. Ramsay’s professional accolades include being named a “Super Lawyer” by Minnesota Law & Politics, Twin Cities Business Monthly, and Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine, and is listed among the “Top 40” criminal defense attorneys in Minnesota. He was also honored as “Attorney of the Year” in 2011 and 2016 by Minnesota Lawyer, the state’s leading legal publication.

Mr. Ramsay has successfully challenged unconstitutional laws and exposed unreliable scientific testing methods. As a certified Intoxilyzer 5000 operator, he has testified about its shortcomings and played a key role in the federal source code lawsuit, gaining access to the device’s source code as co-lead counsel of the Source Code Coalition. He is also certified by the manufacturer of the DataMaster (DMT) as both an operator and supervisor.

Mr. Ramsay holds the distinguished ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Designation, recognized by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemistry and Law Division (not MSBA). He is certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST), is an SFST instructor, and holds Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) certification.

For more information or to contact Mr. Ramsay, visit Ramsay Law Firm.