A conviction for drunk driving is not at all easy to manage. It can hold you at risk.The penalties for drunk driving in New Jersey are severe and can cause imprisonment. To fight a DUI case requires a lot of work such understanding the legalities, pleading guilty and so on.
Take a look at the penalties for drunk driving:
- First conviction- $500, if the BAC is more than .10. All subsequent convictions include a fine of $1000.
- Anyone caught for drunk driving has to donate a cost of $100 to the state’s drunk driving fund. You may also have to attend events and programs at a cost of $230 per day.
- Your license will be suspended for about 7-12 months in your first conviction. This would happen if the BAC is above .10. Your second conviction can extend your suspension dates for two more years.
- The penalties will differ if the drunk and driving issue happened near a school premise.
The charge and suspension period will be increased in that case.
- Jail sentence with your first conviction is 30 days. The second conviction may lead to 90 days and subsequent convictions will have 180 days jail sentence.
Take a look at the 10 quick tips about Penalties for drunk driving:
1. ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING
Within the 10 days of your arrest, inform your lawyer to schedule an Administrative hearing. You have the right to do so. It’s your right to be accompanied by a lawyer for the hearing.
The hearing is not about your guiltiness in the crime but to ensure that your arrest covered all the basic rules or not. The basic rules are ground rules, refusal for any test, license issue regarding your driving, etc.
A quality lawyer can help you utilize the opportunity by descending your penalties.
2. ‘DRUNK AND DRIVING’ LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
There is a lot of difference between criminal and civil hearing. Criminal hearing deals with your conviction and discussion about the exact penalties needed to be attached. The penalties may include fines, fees, license suspension and revocation, attaining screenings on Drunk and driving, interlocks in your vehicle, incarceration etc.
Here, the prosecutor presents your charges along with evidence that opposes your statement.
3. PENALTIES IN FIRST CONVICTION
If you are pleading for a first ‘drunk and drive’ conviction, the penalties are as follows:
- Your license will be suspended for about 1 to 3 years.
- Installation of interlocks in your vehicle for at least 1 year at your own expense.
- You will find a place in the criminal record along with your mug shot.
- High fines as payment.
- In your first conviction for drunk and driving- Insurance rates increased in excess of $10000 per year for 5 more years.
- Will not be allowed to enter other countries outside the United States.
4. SECOND CONVICTION & THIRD CONVICTION
Penalties for second and third convictions are:
- A minimum jail sentence of 30 days.
- Suspension of driving license for at least 3 years.
- All the penalties for a first conviction will be added.
Third conviction may include:
- Jail sentence of about 120 days.
- Suspension of license for about 3 years.
- Sometimes even lifetime suspension of the license.
5. FOR YOUNGSTERS
There are no exceptions for minors in case of drunk and driving. The legal drinking age in major states is 21. Therefore drinking before that is also a crime.
Being young makes the situation, in fact, worse. Considering age groups above 21, there BAC must not be above .8%.
But in the case of youngsters, they are penalized with respect to lower blood alcohol levels or .02%. The penalty may include adult sentences on minors.
6. THE WORST PENALTY
The worst penalty for a drunk and driving case will be the display of your name in the criminal record. If you are convicted or arrested in a DUI case, you will be a part of the criminal record forever. This can affect him in so many ways. He will be known as criminal among the relatives, neighborhood, and friends.
There’s a chance that he might not be hired for any jobs. Even if he is hired, the firm’s research about his background can dismiss him.
7. TRAVELING RESTRICTIONS
One of the most severe punishments in DUI case is the Traveling restrictions. One who had been convicted of a drunk and driving will be restricted to enter or travel to any other country.
Drunk and driving is a criminal act and has severe penalties. An offense, in this case, can cause a future impact. If anybody has a criminal record in DUI case, he will be denied from entering other countries. He will be red-flagged by the customs.
The only aid in this situation is a lawyer. Ask him to clear out these penalties while your ticket is dismissed. An efficient lawyer has the ability to lessen and curtail your penalties.
8. HIKES IN AUTO INSURANCE
An offense of drunk and driving can gift you high auto insurance rates. Along with the hike, his insurance policy will also be canceled. The rates of his auto insurance will go for a hike after the conviction. There are only handfuls of agencies that provide facility insurance to the drivers.
These insurance have high premiums of $10000 PER YEAR for many years.
Managing these kinds of cases require a skilled and experienced lawyer.
9. ADDITIONAL PENALTIES
There are many additional penalties for Drunk and driving includes:
- Huge penalties will be charged if there are multiple violations for 25 years.
- In 10 years, if there are three or more convictions, it can result in permanent revocation of the license.
- Surcharge of about $260 is appointed for misdemeanors.
Felonies can cost a general amount of $400.
- A driver convicted of aggravated DUI violation has to suffer from license revocation if convicted within the prior 10 years. The revocation will be at least 18 months.
- There are other severe additional penalties such as being guilty of class D felony if convicted for homicide in the preceding 15 year period.
10. IN CASE OF A FELONY
If a person drives drunk and causes any kind of killing or homicide, the penalties are very severe.
He will be convicted of a felony. The process includes:
- If the killing occurred with a BAC more than .08%, you will be sent to state prison possibly for 5 years.
- Prior demeanor will be counted. It can increase your prison sentence.
- If the judge reduces the case to a misdemeanor, the convicted has to spend a year in the country jail.
- If a person is convicted of drunk driving for the fourth time in a 10 year period, it will be considered as a felony.
