Virginia Beach DUI Lawyer
DUI Attorney in Virginia Beach
DUI charges are not a small matter in Virginia. The penalties are stiff
and if you have been charged, you have a serious legal problem. Being
arrested can be very embarrassing and upsetting, as law enforcement does
not look kindly upon drunk driving and treat the accused accordingly.
It is true that in a first DUI offense you may lose your license, and
without the assistance of an experienced DUI attorney, the likelihood
of conviction and these penalties increases. It is crucial that you contact a
Virginia Beach DUI attorney if you have been charged with a DUI.
Penalties for DUI in Virginia Beach
It is against the law to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration
(BAC) of .08% or greater. For commercial drivers the legal limit is set
at .04% and for drivers below the age of 21, that limit is set at just
.02%. This means that if you are under the age of 21, you cannot have
any detectable amount of alcohol in your system and drive, not even one
alcoholic drink.
If you are arrested for drunk driving on a first time offense and you do
not have any aggravating factors such as a high BAC or a minor in the
vehicle age 17 or below, then you face the following penalties:
- One year driver's license suspension;
- Mandatory minimum $250 fine;
- Jail – 5 days if BAC registered at or above 0.15%;
- Jail – 5 days if minor was in the vehicle;
- Ignition interlock device required as a condition for restricted driving
privileges or for full restoration of driving privileges;
- Mandatory participation in an Alcohol Safety Program (ASAP);
- One year probation; and
- You may be liable for up to $1,000 of restitution for the cost of law enforcement,
emergency medical services, firefighting and rescue personnel who respond
to a crash or incident resulting from the DUI.
These are the penalties for a simple first time DUI with a BAC ranging
between .08% and less than 0.15%. If your BAC was at or above 0.15%, or
if there was a minor in the vehicle age 17 or younger, or if you had any
prior DUI convictions, then you can expect stiffer penalties. For example,
if there was a minor in your vehicle at the time of your arrest, then
you can be expect additional fines ranging from $500 to $1,000.
Virginia Beach DUI Attorney
Attorney Vaughan C. Jones has defended countless individuals who have been
charged with a DUI. There are certain actions that must be taken without
delay if you hope to bring forward a successful defense. The first step
is a thorough review of the evidence against you. This includes all the
details of how you were pulled over, what tests were administered and
by whom. No stone should be left unturned when you have been arrested
and charged with a DUI. In many cases the charges have been dismissed
or reduced. Without legal counsel, the likelihood of such a result can diminish.
In DUI cases, often a “BAC” (Blood Alcohol Concentration) test
has been administered. No test is completely without error. It is crucial
that the evidence of the test is reviewed, as in the past in certain cases
it was discovered that faulty equipment was being used and this discovery
was extremely helpful in the case. Some people have been arrested and
charged with DUI who were actually not over the allowed level, but the
test registered incorrectly. Law enforcement procedure in the case must
also be reviewed. Don’t take chances, contact DUI defense attorney
Vaughan C. Jones immediately after your arrest.
Contact a Virginia Beach DUI attorney
from the office of Vaughan C. Jones without delay if you have been charged
with a DUI.