Getting hit with a driving under the
influence charge is a pretty intense and stressful experience to say the least.
This situation becomes even more aggravated when the suspect is under the age
of 21. Anyone under the age of 21 in New York is considered underage and
therefore attracts additional penalties when and if convicted of a DUI.
In New York, the maximum permissible
limit to drive is 0.08% BAC. However, this applies for non-commercial, private
drivers only. When it comes to underage or commercial drivers the limits are
much lower for obvious and understandable reasons. From the spoken words of
Brooklyn, NY DUI lawyers, juvenile DUI suspects must do everything in their
power to defend themselves against DUI charges as a conviction can effectively
taint their future in terms of social reputation and also professional
prospects.
This is where this website: http://dui-lawyers.usattorneys.com/new-york/
enters the limelight. Even if you are a juvenile you have rights and one of the
main rights that you possess is the accessibility of a solid defense. This
website may not take you to the Promised Land but it will give you access to
lawyers who may just save your youth and beyond.
New
York employs a zero tolerance law when it comes to underage drunk driving
New York DUI attorneys state that according to law any juvenile or underage
driver will be charged with a DUI if it transpires that they were operating a
motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol level ranging anywhere in between
0.02% to 0.07%. To get this amount of alcohol content in a person’s blood, it
takes as little as one beer.
Underage drivers with a BAC between
0.05% BAC and 0.08% BAC are charged with DWAI (driving while ability impaired)
and underage drivers with a BAC above 0.08% are charged with outright DWI.
Legal
consequences of underage DUI
The repercussions of an underage DUI
depend on the specific circumstances surrounding the arrest. The judge or jury
passing the verdict will take the following factors into account according to
New York City DUI attorneys.
- Was there an accident?
- What was the BAC?
- Is this a first time offense or has this suspect been convicted before?
- Were there any serious injuries or deaths due to the DUI?
In cases where the suspect is a first
time offender who was arrested and sobriety testing techniques determined his
or her BAC to be between 0.02% and 0.07% the suspect will have to show up at a
DMV hearing where if convicted, he may be sentenced to a 6 month license
suspension, and $225 in total civil and suspension termination fines.
When within the above mentioned BAC
range, if a person is convicted for the second time then the consequences are
obviously more severe. Their license may be revoked up to a period of one year
or until the convict reaches the age of 21 (whichever period is greater).
When an underage person is convicted of
DWAI they may even be sent to prison for a period of up to 15 days and can even
be fined anywhere up to $300 and $500.
When the underage suspect is convicted
of DWI (BAC greater than 0.08%) then he or she may be subjected for as long as
one year. Furthermore, they are also liable to pay fines of as much as $500 -
$1,000. Big money if you are only working part time and for minimum wage!
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