Friday, December 11, 2015

What is a felony driving under the influence of drugs?

Driving improperly can cause damage and destruction of property, grave injuries and even death. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is one of the major concerns all across the country where an intoxicated individual behind the wheel is most likely to jeopardize the safety of people and property in the vicinity. This is why DUI or driving under the influence is a criminal offense. However, state laws vary when it comes to awarding punishments.

Drug DUIs

Law enforcement officers have the authority to impose drug DUI charges on any inebriated driver. The officers do not make any distinction between a legal, illegal, or controlled substance. In legal terms, the word drug had been defined as a substance that affects the nervous system, impairs judgment, and therefore an individual’s ability to drive.

You can be charged with DUI even if you are under the influence of a drug that would not have impaired your driving ability. However, impairment will only become an issue if it is combined with alcohol.

If you think the police will not charge you since you do not feel intoxicated from the effects of the drug then you are wrong. The enforcement officers will charge you with DUI if they find traces of controlled substance in your blood stream and the fact that you do not feel intoxicated does not count.

Additionally, remember that even legally prescribed drugs can cause a DUI if you fail a sobriety test especially so since these drugs come with a specific warning not to take them before driving. Drug DUI charges are tricky and it takes the expertise and patience of a criminal defense attorney to explain them to you. You can go over the terms and the avenues that you can take from your position.

What is a Felony DUI?

There is a difference normal DUI and a felony DUI. The latter comes into play when some of the factors convince police officers that your DUI is more serious than a simple DUI.
  • Felony DUI happens if you are driving a vehicle in inebriated state with a child.
  • If you have caused damage to property, self, cars, other individuals and death while driving under influence then you will be charged with a felony DUI. You also should click on this website (http://criminal-defense.usattorneys.com/) so you can find that legal help you clearly now need.
  • Remember, felony DUI is often imposed on individuals with prior multiple DUI offenses.
  • Felony DUI charges are regularly awarded to those who choose to drive a vehicle in an inebriated state when their licenses are suspended. Driving with a suspended license itself is a serious offense. You do not need a legal professional to inform you of this.

Penalties for a DUI

The penalties are much more severe for a felony DUI. You can be jailed, fined, and have your license suspended for several years. If you are lucky you will be given probation and your criminal defense lawyer will help you acquire that result for sure. For the most part, prison time depends on the severity of your crime and usually varies between one to five years. In addition, the fines levied on offenders are significantly high in felony DUI cases and can go up $10,000.

This website, https://usattorneys.com/, is not a secret but law enforcement will not inform you about it either. They do not care if you obtain home run hitting legal talent and a criminal defense lawyer that will give them a run for their money. Use this site to find hard hitting legal help that can help you out immensely. 
Probation may allow you to stay out of jail but you will have to comply with specific rules set by the court. You will have to report to your probation officer on certain days, take drug tests, not commit any (more) DUIs, and pay court fines. The last penalty is a temporary or permanent suspension of the driving license depending on the severity of your offense. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Popular Posts