Ways a DUI Lawyer Can Help You
If you or someone close recently got a DUI in Virginia, it helps if you understand the ramifications of such a citation. If this is your first DUI, you need more information on what to do next. Do you need an attorney to help you deal with your first DUI?
The great state of Virginia considers your first DUI a class one misdemeanor. You’ll have to pay somewhere between $250 and $2, 5000 on your first DUI. You might also incur a one-year suspension of your driver’s license. If you test positive for alcohol consumption and have a BAC of 0.15 percent or higher, your sentence increases to a minimum five day stay in jail.
Virginia Administrative Penalties
Your license gets suspended for one year for a first offense DUI in Virginia. To get your driver’s license back, you’ll need to complete an alcohol safety and education class. Drivers with a BAC at or over .15 are required to use an ignition interlock device when their driver’s license is reinstated.
Virginia Criminal Drinking and Driving Criminal Penalties
There remains no mandatory minimum period of incarceration for DUI offenders. The only exception to this rule is if the driver also had an underage passenger in the vehicle with them. Also, if the driver registers .20 BAC when stopped, they’ll be incarcerated for a minimum of 10 days.
Also, if a minor passenger was present in the vehicle when pulled over, the fine might increase from $250 to at least $750, but not more than $2,500. Extra expenses incurred in addition to these fines include other costs such as applicable restitution mandated by the court. Your present conviction might determine further punishment for future DUIs for up to ten years.
Using Legal Counsel for Your DUI
Having a qualified lawyer present during your trial might allow you to plead down DUI charges to lesser criminal offenses. Whether you might plead to a lower charge is determined by the knowledgeability of your legal counsel. Don’t take a chance with your representation. Please contact our law firm today for additional information on the benefits of obtaining a lawyer to deal with your DUI.