DUI Lawyer

Thanks in large part to the efforts of activist groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, every state in the United States has gone to significant lengths over the past several decades to crack down on people driving on public roads while impaired by alcohol or drugs. As a result, police officers nationwide have a lot of leeway when it comes to arresting supposedly intoxicated drivers and courts can impose surprisingly harsh sanctions—including penalties that go far beyond fines and jail times—even against first-time offenders.

Even if you have a spotless criminal record, a single arrest for drunk driving could have a catastrophic impact on both your personal and professional life, especially if you try to deal with your charge without a seasoned defense attorney on your side. Fortunately, you have help from a knowledgeable DUI lawyer with the experience and expertise you need to resolve your charge most effectively.

What Counts as “Drunk Driving” in Different States?

Driving under the influence is one of the few types of criminal offenses that every state in the U.S. is on more or less the same page about. Driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) equal to or over 0.08 percent always qualifies as illegal drunk driving, with Utah being the sole exception by setting the BAC limits for in-state drivers at 0.05 percent. Most states also impose stricter BAC limits on commercial truck drivers and drivers under the age of 21, and they also generally impose harsher penalties on anyone pulled over with a BAC at or over 0.15 percent.

Additionally, state and local police officers generally have the authority to decide based on their own observations and/or a driver’s performance in standardized field sobriety tests that someone is “impaired” enough by alcohol, drugs, or anything else to be arrested for DUI. The penalties for either type of DUI arrest are generally the same: high-level misdemeanor penalties for first-time offenders, and very often felony-level consequences for repeat offenders and offenders with aggravating conditions—for example, a child in the car with them when they were pulled over.

Non-Criminal Consequences for a DUI Conviction

While being fined hundreds or thousands of dollars and facing the possibility of months or years of imprisonment certainly qualify as serious penalties, many of the most impactful consequences of DUI convictions nationwide happen outside of criminal court entirely. For instance, just about every DUI conviction will result in the offender’s driver’s license being suspended for a significant period of time, and a convicted person’s right to appeal for a “hardship” exception so they can continue driving to school or work is only available in certain states and under certain circumstances.

DUI convictions also often result in sanctions like mandatory community service, mandatory completion of alcohol abuse treatment and safe driving education, and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device (IID) in all of the defendant’s vehicles for years after their criminal case concludes. While it is not something a DUI defense lawyer could help with in a direct sense, it is worth mentioning as well that DUI convictions almost always result in substantial increases in the defendant’s car insurance premiums.

Talk to a DUI Attorney About Your Legal Options

First-time DUI convictions can lead to a host of criminal, administrative, and personal consequences that could severely interfere with your daily life, and repeat offenders may find themselves facing felony charges. Even if you have an existing record, though, representation from experienced legal counsel can do a lot to improve your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome from your criminal case.

A DUI lawyer can discuss your unique situation and offer advice about what to do next during a confidential consultation. Schedule yours by calling today.