Across the country, states continue to implement stiffer laws for DUI violators, including vehicle restrictions, court fees, jail time and license suspensions. While each state will differ in in regards to the severity of fines, jail time and penalties, all states have some common laws that they share. For first-time violators, dealing with a DUI charge can present its own set of challenges, and if individuals are unaware of the laws, they could be looking at tougher penalties and fees.
State Laws
From California to New York, every state will grant a suspected perpetrator a “Per Se” hearing that operates as the DMV’s criminal hearing to determine if a motorist is guilty. The results of the meeting will differ from state to state; for example, being guilty in Virginia will result in a one year suspension from the DMV, while a guilty verdict in California will draw only a 3-month license suspension. Do not forget, Per se hearings will determine the after-effect of your license restrictions, while the courts will issue different fines and penalties, such as jail time and ignition locks. In addition to your license limitations, each state will require an ignition lock on your car, except for Alabama and Massachusetts, and on top of that, you still face probation and/or jail time for your DUI. To get an idea of how complicated it is to deal with a DUI offense, Southern California motorists will have to pay for an ignition lock, employ a Southern California DUI attorney to deal with the criminal and DMV sanctions and attend an alcohol and drug abuse class.
Driver’s Rights
All states have stated that the legal limit for a DUI is determined to be.08%, and anyone caught over this limit will be arrested. Still, even if you are under the limit, you can still be cited for a DUI as you may present a threat to other motorists because of the manner in which you are driving. While Per se meetings are not mandatory, it is up to the offender to schedule and be present at these meetings with an attorney because without legal representation, a person will more than likely be found guilty and be issued a suspension on his license. The lawyer that you employ may help reduce the charges, so say you live in Southern California, you could employ an Orange County DUI attorney and get only restricted driving privileges as opposed to a suspended license, and probation instead of jail time. No matter where you get caught for a DUI, it is always good to prepare yourself with a sufficient amount of information and have a legal counselor by your side to properly settle the dilemma.