Salt Lake City DUI Lawyer

Driving while under the influence is considered to be a serious criminal offense in the state of Utah. In fact, it is considered to be a per se offense to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) over 0.08 percent; for a minor, this threshold is lowered considerably - someone under the legal drinking age is considered to be driving drunk should they have a BAC over 0.02 percent. It is also clearly stated within the law that even if they do not have a BAC that is considered to be over the legal limit they could be criminally charged with drunk driving should it be proved that they were impaired in any way - no matter whether this is from consumption of alcohol, drugs or a combination of the two.

Arrested with prior DUI convictions?

There is little doubt that a conviction of a DUI is nothing to take lightly; the penalties are severe and can be crippling from the very first offense. What, however, happens if you do not have a spotless criminal record? DUI charges can occur more than once - and if you have a criminal record of drunk driving, even for a minor offense, you will be finding criminal charges that are severely enhanced. For example, per UCA §41-6a-505(2), if you have been successfully convicted of a second DUI charge, you will be facing penalties that include, but are not limited to the following:

• Imprisonment - This could be for 240 hours in jail, compensatory-service work for 240 hours or home confinement through electronic monitoring.
• Substance Abuse Screening - You will have to undergo a substance abuse screening by the Board of Substance Abuse and Mental Health to determine whether you are in need of an assessment or an educational series.
• Substance Abuse Assessment - If the screening determines it, you will have to enter into the assessment with a licensed and approved mental health therapist who will help determine whether you are in need of treatment, an educational series or both.
• Educational Series - You will need to enroll in "Prime for Life" which is currently the only approved Educational Series; this is a sixteen hour program that will help address alcohol and / or drug use.
• Monetary Fine - The fine will have a minimum of $800, along with all assessments and surcharges, which typically totals out to $1,532. The maximum is $1,882.
• Supervised Probation - If you were arrested with a BAC over 0.16 percent, you will also need to enter into probation for a court-approved amount of time; you must front the costs.
• Ignition Interlock Device - If you were under the legal drinking age at the time of your second arrest, you will need to have an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) installed into your vehicle as a condition of your supervised probation.
• Driver's License Division - This includes actions such as being considered as an Alcohol Restricted Driver (ARD), as well as having the IID installed into your vehicle.

It is important to remember that a conviction of a DUI is more than just incarceration; in an attempt to help stop repeat offenders, the law takes a comprehensive look at these types of crimes and truly attempts to apply a rigorous and educational approach. This is costly, time-consuming and can be a hamper on both your personal and your professional life. The penalties outlined above only apply for second DUI charges. What happens if you have a third DUI or even a fourth? Each subsequent arrest will prove only more difficult to defend against - and will have stakes that are all-together more deadly.

Contact a Salt Lake City DUI defense attorney!

It is for this reason that you need an aggressive Salt Lake City criminal attorney on your side to ensure that you are given the best possible chance of success. At Rocky Mountain Defenders, PC we have proven that we can be trusted with even the most complex of cases. We know what is at stake when dealing with cases of multiple DUI and we are prepared to go the distance in our efforts to provide our clients with the hard-hitting representation that they deserve. Should you choose to work with a lawyer from our firm, you will be able to rest assured knowing that we will do everything that we can to help you protect your legal rights and fight for the most desirable outcome possible.

Criminally charged with multiple DUI? Contact a Salt Lake City DUI lawyer from our firm today!