Newport News DUI Lawyers
- Jones, Robert:
Assault
Automobile Accidents
Bankruptcy
Boating Accidents
Child Custody
Child Support
Consumer Bankruptcy
Criminal Law
Divorce
Drug Offenses
DUIDWI
Estate Administration
Family Law
Felonies
Misdemeanors
Plaintiff Personal Injury
Spousal Support
Suspended License
Traffic Violations
Trucking Accidents
Visitation Rights
Weapons Charges
Wills and Probate
- Chong, Polly:
If you have received a traffic ticket for speeding, reckless driving or other moving violations, you may be inclined to simply pay the ticket, believing that it will be difficult and expensive to successfully challenge. A conviction on a traffic ticket can have multiple consequences, however. Your automobile insurance premiums may go up significantly. You may lose your driving privileges. You could face substantial fines and even incarceration. An experienced lawyer can protect your interests, so that the consequences are either minimized or avoided.
- Michael Tillotson:
What are the Penalties for a Virginia DUI?
Any person in violation of DUI laws in the state of Virginia will be subject to harsh penalties with increasing severity based on the blood alcohol level.Ê In addition to fines, jail time and license suspension, you may face additional penalties including mandatory alcohol education programs and the installation of an ignition interlock device on your vehicle as well as grossly increased insurance costs and potential loss of your employment.
1st Offense:
Class 1 Misdemeanor requiring a maximum 12 months jail time
$250 Minimum fine
12-month license suspension
Immediate license restriction for 7 days
With BAC at .15 - .20:
5 days mandatory minimum jail time
$250 Minimum fine
12-month license suspension with Ignition Interlock installed on your vehicle
Immediate license restriction for 7 days
With BAC at .21+
10 days mandatory minimum jail time
$250 Minimum fine
12-month license suspension and Ignition Interlock installed on your vehicle
Immediate license restriction for 7 days
2nd Offense:
ÉWithin 5 years
Class 1 Misdemeanor requiring 20 days mandatory minimum jail time
$500 minimum fine
3 year license suspension with Ignition Interlock installed on your vehicle
No restricted license for 1st year
Within 10 years
Class 1 Misdemeanor requiring 10 days mandatory minimum jail time
$500 minimum fine
3 year license suspension with Ignition Interlock installed on your vehicle
No restricted license for 4 months
With BAC at .15 - .20:
Class 1 Misdemeanor requiring 10 additional days of jail time on top of 2nd offense minimums
$500 minimum fine
3 year license suspension with Ignition Interlock installed on your vehicle
With BAC at .21+
Class 1 Misdemeanor requiring 20 additional days of jail time on top of 2nd offense minimums
$500 minimum fine
3 year license suspension with Ignition Interlock installed on your vehicle
3rd Offense:
ÉWithin 5 years
Class 6 Felony; 90 days mandatory jail time
$1000 minimum fine
License eligible after 5 years
No restricted license
Within 10 years
Class 6 Felony; 6 months mandatory jail time
$1000 minimum fine
License eligible after 5 years
No restricted license
4th Offense
1 year mandatory jail time with maximum 3 years probation
$1000 minimum fine
License eligible after 5 years
No restricted license
In addition, any person convicted of a DUI violation with a person 17 years of age or younger in the vehicle will be fined an additional $500 - $1,000 and sentenced to a mandatory minimum of five days in jail.
Additional Penalty Information
DriversÕ License Suspension
Any driver with a BAC of .08 or higher, or drivers that refuse to submit to BAC testing, are subject to mandatory suspension of a drivers license. Most states impose harsher penalties for second or third DUI offenses, typically those that occur within five years of a prior DUI offense. In Virginia, a drivers license will the suspended for 7 days for the first DUI offense.
Alcohol Education Programs
When convicted of a DUI offense, the state of Virginia requires that all offenders complete a mandatory Alcohol Safety Action Program as well as assessment for potential alcohol dependency.Ê In accordance with the State of Virginia all offenders are required to participate in mandatory completion of Alcohol Safety Action Program.
Ignition Interlock
In order to protect you and those around you, the state requires installation of an Ignition Interlock system on your vehicle.Ê The device measures your blood alcohol level of the driver. If your more than the preset minimum BAC (such as 02 BAC) is detected, the device will prevent the operation of the vehicle.Ê In most cases, the state will require the DUI offender to incur all costs of the ignition interlock device including the installation, rental and maintenance.Ê In Virginia, you will be required to install an ignition interlock device if your blood alcohol level is 0.15 or higher when you are arrested for driving under the influence.
- John Rice:
Driving while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, or other
drugs often leads to arrest, license revocation, and drunk driving
charges.
DUI in Virginia
If your blood alcohol level (BAC) is .08 or more, you will be charged with driving under the influence (DUI). If the first time you are arrested for drunk driving with a BAC of .15 to .19, you will get a mandatory jail sentence of 5 days. If it's .2 or higher, you will be in jail for 10 days.
Virginia DUI laws are harsh. If you have had a few too many to drink, you should not drive. But more than that, you should not put your keys in the ignition. Do not sit in your car with the heater on. Do not sit in your car listening to the radio.
If you're convicted of drunk driving in Virginia, you will likely be sentenced to a driver safety program, and will face significant fines, jail time, and short-term suspension or revocation of your drivers license.
Before you subject yourself to costly penalties, let's be sure the State has a case. As your drunk driving defense attorney, I'll check out the evidence against you and see if errors were made in your stop or alcohol test. I will vigorously defend you in your administrative hearing with the DMV and in court.
I'm thorough and tenacious in providing the best defense to my clients. I've been representing people charged with crimes and traffic offenses for more than 30 years.
Underage Drinking
21 is the legal drinking age in Virginia. Anyone under age 21 who consumes or purchases alcohol will be charged with a misdemeanor. If you obtain alcohol for an underage person, you can be charged with a misdemeanor, and may be sentenced to jail, fined $500, sentenced to community service, and have your drivers license suspended for six months.
- Dunnigan & Messier:
... being confronted with any sort of legal dilemma can be quite
perplexing, causing great anxiety and fear of the possible legal
consequences.
- Frank & Frank:
Facing a criminal charge, no matter how minor it may seem, can be a
complicated and confusing process. You should not answer a criminal
charge without the advice and guidance of an experienced criminal
attorney.
- Daniel Morrissette:
Dealing with a criminal charge is often frightening. You may have
questions about the law, or about the procedure involved in a criminal
case.
Return to Virginia DUI Lawyers
|