Charged With Underage DUI
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012If you are faced with underaged DUI within the state of Callifornia, you must speak to a Sacramento DUI lawyer immediately, because California has zero tolerance for underaged driving under the influence. The zero tolerance policy signifies that the courts are quite harsh with offenders so they tend to give unsympathetic sentences which will drastically have an impact on your daily life. If you’re caught operating a motor vehicle intoxicated by alcohol and your blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.01% or higher and you are younger than 21, you will be arrested and charged with underage DUI. If you are under 21 and your BAC level is 0.05% or higher, than you may also be charged with a regular DUI. Statutory rules in California do not set out mandatory sentences and punishments with a BAC level that is below 0.08% unless the operator is over the age of eighteen and also their BAC is measured at 0.05% or greater.
Penalty Charges of Underage DUI
If you are found guilty of DUI the penalties may be harsh, including:
• Incarceration. The charge of DUI can land you in jail, even if you are a first time offender. The sentence might be from several months up to a year. Since you are going to have a criminal record and often will have with you the stigma of time in jail, it is possible that you might lose your livelihood along with your home, and you may dramatically affect your future opportunity to rent a property or get a job. But it will not stop there.
• Suspension of license to drive an automobile. When you’re faced with an underage DUI charge, there may be other strict penalties in addition to serving time in jail. An underaged driver who is found guilty of DUI is no longer allowed to operate a motorized vehicle. License suspension with underage DUI for the first offense will be a one year suspension. With subsequent offenses, that period of time can extend to as much as 36 months. According to the particular information of your own case, if you’re found guilty of underage DUI it may result in your car getting impounded or even sold at your own expense.
• Fines as well as other special requirements. Not only will you lose your car temporarily or permanently, but when you are convicted of underage DUI you can face fines which may go up to 1000s of dollars. You might be required to attend special programs for abusing drugs or alcohol abuse and/or driving safety classes. In certain cases the judge might order you to have your car or truck equipped with a piece of equipment which will test out your breath for alcohol before your engine will be able to start. You will need to make use of your own money to pay to have this equipment placed on your vehicle.
• You will be faced with enhanced penalties. If you’re stopped for suspicion of DUI while driving, and you elect not to submit to chemical testing, then you can have your license suspended. If this happens twice within a ten year penalty, you can lose your license for no less than 36 months. Even when you possess the right to refuse chemical testing, you’ll likely be treated just like you obtained a test and punishment is going to be passed down accordingly.
Legal Representation for Underage DUI
A seasoned Sacramento criminal defense lawyer is needed for the complexities of the DUI case, even if you intend to plead guilty to the offense. If you are under 21 years of age, it is imperative that you contace a Sacramento DUI lawyer immediately following your arrest so that you can have a successful outcome to your DUI case.
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