DUI LAWYER IN VACAVILLE, CA

DUI Lawyer in Vacaville, CA Solano County

Being Convicted of a DUI in Vacaville, CA is Serious & Costly

Driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol in the Vacaville, CA is a criminal act prosecuted through the criminal justice system, not handled through the DMV like minor traffic infractions. If you are charged with a DUI, choose a Vacaville DUI lawyer who has specific DUI defense experience to receive the most vigorous defense.

A DUI can be charged if your “blood alcohol content” (BAC) is 0.08% or higher. The “BAC” is a measurement of how much ethanol as opposed to blood is found within the bloodstream by volume. Drivers under 21 have a legal limit of 0.01% BAC, while commercial driver’s license holders have a limit of 0.04% BAC. To determine BAC, a law enforcement may test a driver’s breath, urine, or blood.

If a driver doesn’t meet the legal limit to be charged with a DUI, he can still be charged with reckless driving when appropriate. Moreover, the Solano County District Attorney will charge a high blood alcohol allegation if a defendant’s blood alcohol level is .15 percent or greater; this can carry increased penalties such as a longer DUI program and a longer jail sentence.

FIRST-TIME DUI CHARGE

Even if you are facing a first-time DUI charge, the criminal penalties in California can be onerous. It is believed that the harshness of these penalties has led to lower arrest rates for misdemeanor DUIs. The criminal procedure is separate and apart from the DMV’s administrative procedure for a DUI. If you are arrested with a DUI, you should hire experienced Vacaville DUI attorney to help you fight the charges, which can result in harsh consequences:

• In criminal court, a convicted driver that has no prior DUI convictions can still receive a 30-day to 10-month suspension of driving privileges.
• First offenders convicted of misdemeanor DUIs who have not injured anyone can receive fines that run from $390-$1,000.
• Jail time for a first offender can range from 4 days up to 6 months.
• Over ¾ of these enter a first-offender DUI program.

SECOND & THIRD DUI

Second and third offenders who are convicted of misdemeanor DUIs may face even greater penalties.

• The driver’s license of a second offender can be revoked for one to two years.
• Jail time ranges from 90 days to one year.
• Fines again start at $390 and go up to $1000.
• Third-time offenders may be sentenced to 120 days-1 year jail time and fined $390-$1,000.
• They may have to go into 18 or 30-month program.
• Additionally, their license can be revoked for 3 years.
• On January 1, 2012, a new law went into effect that allows a court to order a license revocation for ten years for any individual with three or more DUI convictions in the past ten years.

INJURY AS A RESULT OF A DUI

If a person is injured as a result of a DUI or in the case of felony DUIs, all of these fines and jail times may increase. For example, someone convicted of a felony DUI with an injury may face 16 months to 10 years in prison, and an additional sentence based on how many were injured and how badly, between $1,015 – 5,000 in fines, mandatory treatment in an alcohol or drug program, habitual traffic offender status for three years, and have to pay restitution to the persons injured. On top of these criminal penalties, people who are convicted of a DUI must also deal with court fees and DMV fees and a record that lasts 10 years. If an individual is arrested for a DUI, and he was convicted of one or more DUIs within the last 10 years, he or she is a second or third-time offender.

VACAVILLE DUI LAWYER IS HERE TO HELP

If You Need Help Challenging a DUI Charge in Vacaville, CA contact a DUI Lawyer at The Choyce Law Firm. The penalties for a DUI can be severe. The Choyce Law Firm can help you fight a DUI charge. We have extensive experience handling criminal defense cases, and we have helped many clients get DUI charges dropped or reduced based on faulty tests, improper procedures, unlawfully acquired evidence, and many other reasons. For a confidential consultation, call The Choyce Law Firm at our Fairfield, CA office at (707) 422-1202 today.
 
The Choyce Law Firm
1500 Webster St, Suite B
Fairfield, CA 94533
Phone: (707) 422-1202