A Driving Under Restraint charge (where the license was restrained for a prior alcohol offense), for instance, can carry up to one year in jail. In addition to criminal penalties, a conviction or guilty plea can result in suspension of your driving privileges or a steep increase in your car insurance rates. The impact of a traffic offense can be even more severe for truckers and professional drivers, as a commercial driver’s license (“CDL”) suspension may mean the loss of one’s livelihood.

Why should I hire a Drunk Driving Defense lawyer?

We recommend hiring a drunk driving lawyer in Vail, Colorado if you have been charged with driving under the influence (DUI). DUI is a serious offence and could cost you heavily in fines and involve jail time. You can also contact a drunk driving lawyer in Vail, Colorado if you or a loved one is in an accident caused by a drunk driver. A qualified and experienced attorney can help in several ways. It includes representing you at hearings and providing counsel to reduce or dismiss the charge. They can help you file any necessary paperwork, such as insurance forms and motor department forms.

First Offense DUI

There are several scenarios if you’ve been charged with DUI for the first time. The judge may revoke your license, sentence you to jail, or impose hefty fines. It also means that you now have a criminal record for life. A DUI attorney can provide valuable guidance in this situation.

Second Offense DUI

You are charged with a second offense DUI if your blood alcohol percentage exceeds the legal limit, and you’ve been convicted for DUI in less than 5-years. The repercussions of a second DUI are much more severe. You could permanently lose driving privileges and sentenced to a mandatory jail term.

Aggravated DUI

An aggravated DUI charge increases the penalties owing to special situations that deem you a danger to others. They may charge you with aggravated DUI if the alcohol percentage is way higher than permissible limits. Other scenarios include the presence of minors in the vehicle, speeding, and many previous DUI convictions.

Extreme DUI

You are charged with extreme DUI if your blood alcohol level is many times greater than the limit. It carries a mandatory jail term ranging from 30-days to several months. It leads to hefty fines with the suspension of a driver’s license and probation. Installation of a vehicle interlock device is mandatory.

How can a Drunk Driving lawyer reduce charges?

An experienced DUI lawyer is aware of the legal tenets that impact the outcome of a DUI charge. You can choose to go with a public defender or a private attorney, depending on your income bracket. The lawyer examines the circumstances of the DUI arrest and the evidence presented to the court. Evidence could be results of a breath, urine, or blood test. Your attorney can prove that the results collected are unreliable or mishandled. They can help in charges involving property damage and possession of controlled substances. Contact a DUI attorney immediately if the DUI charge involves a minor.

FAQs

Q. What is a DUI?

Driving under the influence (DUI) is a crime that involves driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol. The state prescribes a permissible limit considered safe for operating a vehicle. Any value exceeding this limit constitutes a DUI offence. They determine it by measuring the alcohol concentration in the blood. It’s commonly measured using a breath analyzer or urine test.

Q. What happens when they charge with DUI?

The outcome of a DUI charge depends on the seriousness of the case. The arresting officer issues a ticket/court date before taking you to a police station. Depending on the DUI charge and blood alcohol concentration, you could pay a hefty fine, lose driving privileges, or they may even send you to jail. Contact a DUI attorney in Vail or Avon, Colorado for help with a DUI charge.

Q. Will I lose my license?

The state suspends your license temporarily from a few months to a year on the first DUI charge and much longer for a second offence. Even a DUI charge without a conviction might face a license suspension. Depending on the state to state, the duration and enforcement of the license suspension vary. An Avon DUI lawyer in can help you with license reinstatement.

Q. Can I challenge a DUI case?

Yes, DUI cases can be challenged and won, based on circumstances and evidence during the arrest. You can challenge the legality of the officer who stopped you, the field sobriety tests, the test results, and many other pieces of evidence. An experienced DUI lawyer in Vail, Colorado, can evaluate the evidence and any constitutional violations for a DUI case dismissal.

Q. If convicted, what are the types of penalties that will be imposed?

A DUI conviction is a serious crime and could include penalties ranging from fines to jail time. The first DUI conviction usually entails a fine, driver’s license suspension, and probation. The second and subsequent DUI convictions may involve increased fines and longer jail terms. Apart from community service and rehabilitation sessions, Alternate punishments could include counselling or other similar programs.

Q. Do I have to take the blood test?

Submitting to a blood, urine, or breath test is not mandatory. The constitutional framework protects you from obliging. However, the arresting officer can seek a warrant to perform them. Refusal to submit to any of these tests leads to an automatic suspension of your driver’s license. The laws and repercussions of not submitting to a test vary from state to state.

Q. Do I have to go to jail for a DUI?

Jail terms for a DUI charge depend on the seriousness of the case. They may send you to jail if the current DUI conviction is a repeat offence. It’s also handed in the case of death or grievous injuries to other parties resulting from your intoxicated driving. Four prior DUI convictions lead to incarceration in state prison.

Q. How can I get the license back after DUI?

A DUI lawyer can assist you with getting your license back after a DUI conviction. They will usually provide you with a temporary license with a ten-day validity. You need to request an administrative hearing to begin the process of revoking the license suspension. A DUI lawyer in Avon & Vail handles the necessary paperwork and challenges the license suspension.

Q. Do I have to take the Field Sobriety Tests?

It is your constitutional right to refuse field sobriety tests when pulled over by an officer. They perform these tests to check if you are under the influence and impaired to drive. Common tests include a one-leg stand and horizontal gaze nystagmus. Your likelihood of winning a DUI case drops if you take these tests and fare poorly.

Q. How long will the DUI charge Stay?

Unfortunately, a DUI charge stays for the rest of your life against your record. It is considered a permanent conviction once you plead guilty. Some states allow some DUI charges that were dismissed for being expunged from a criminal record. Always plead guilty to a DUI charge only after exhaustive consultation with an experienced DUI attorney in Vail, Colorado.

Q. How long will it take to resolve a case?

The time taken to resolve a DUI case could range from a couple of months to a year. A case on trial generally takes longer. It hinges mainly on the facts and circumstances surrounding your case. Being co-operative and courteous to the arresting police officer often goes a long way in reducing the case duration.

Q. Can they arrest me for DUI when the car is parked?

Yes. It is of no consequence if the vehicle is in motion or stationary as long as you are behind the wheel and impaired owing to alcohol consumption. Certain factors may be considered by a jury to determine your guilt, such as the car and driver location.

Q. Can you still drive after getting arrested in the DUI charge?

Your driving license could be suspended for any duration ranging from a month to several years, depending on the severity of the case. It also depends if this is your first DUI charge or you have prior convictions. You are issued a temporary license valid for 30-days and have 10-business days after your release to counter-argue the suspension.

Q. How much will you charge for the case?

For most DUI charges, a law firm will charge you a flat fee that includes representing you as well as the DMV hearing. There will be additional legal charges if your case goes for a trial. Your Avon DUI attorney will prepare all legal paperwork on your behalf and even avoid your need to be present, if possible.

Why Are We the Best Drunk Driving Defense Lawyer in Avon, CO?

More than one million people were arrested in 2016 for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the USA. Around 10,500 people died due to DUI in the same year. One person dies every hour due to drunk-driving. In 2010 alone, damages due to DUI mounted to a whopping $44 billion. It is quite clear that one drink can cause you a lifetime of pain.

Even one slip-up can cause the driver to lose employment, mental peace, reputation, permanent license and land him/her in jail. Due to such severe repercussions, those booked under DUI are advised to hire an ethical, competent, and well-experienced DUI attorney. As criminal cases are processed much faster than civil litigations, one must immediately start their search for legal aid.

For those residing at Avon, Colorado,Howard law firm should be one of your top contenders. Why so? This is because we possess a skilled team of lawyers equipped with specialized knowledge and experience to handle DUI cases. Head over to our website and book yourself a free consultation at our Avon office. Read on to discover our strengths in the field of DUI and DWAI cases.

Meet Your Future Attorney in Person

We encourage those who contact us to book an in-person consultation. This is one of the most effective ways to find out if we can continue with this professional relationship or not. This will boost your confidence as you can find out how comfortable you feel with our team. Communication and comfort are the two factors we take very seriously at Howard.

Next, we can discuss the severity of your case, possible outcomes, what documents need to be collected and go over our immediate plan of action. We urge our clients to use this as an opportunity to get to know our team, credentials, experience, and reputation.

Get Assisted by an Ethical & Skilled Team

We at Howard do not compromise on ethics and fair play no matter the situation or consequence. We are a licensed law firm and do not have any record of disciplinary actions or disbarred attorneys on our team. Feel free to cross-check these facts on the state bar association’s website. We also do not encourage or tolerate any malpractices at our firm. We have a skilled set of resourceful attorneys who will guide you through each step and make sure you do not feel threatened or alone in the courtroom.

Open Discussion About Legal Fee Structure

In general, litigations are expensive and criminal cases even more so. But we firmly believe that the cost factor shouldn’t discourage anyone from seeking legal assistance. We encourage clients to discuss their budgets openly. And we try our best to work out a number that is practical for both parties.

To get a fair idea about the fee structure in DUI cases, we urge you to look up the American Bar Association’s list of figures. Generally, for DUI cases where there is no injury or damage to a person or property, the expense comes to $5,000- $12,000. This covers our fees and court costs, DMV charges, fines, bail, insurance, etc.

Check Our clientele and Their Testimonials.

We urge future clients to ask for our previous clientele and their testimonials. We believe that their experience with us will speak louder than our promises. Feel free to contact them so that you can get a better idea of how we work as a legal team. This will also help you to determine whether we can bond as a team. We have also been peer-rated for the highest professional excellence in 2020 and received the Martindale-Hubbell client champion platinum award of 2020.

Clear Communication- A Guarantee

Between a lawyer and a client, communication is critical. And we at Howard make sure the client faces no obstacles in this. We ensure that our legal team fully understands your predicaments and straightforwardly conveys this to you. Also, we believe our communication with you is a strong indicator of our debating skills with the judge and jury. We do not believe in making false promises or assuring you a win. This goes against our core policies and will only mislead our clients.

DWAI-one of our specialties

Though the services we offer range from family law to traffic violations, we have extensively dealt with DUI and DWAI cases. We have been representing the citizens of Colorado for the last 40 years. To put it in simple words, we know what exactly to do. The experience we have gained has enabled us to become an expert under this branch of law. Due to extensive contact building over the decades, we can negotiate with public defenders and settle. Hence, you will be amending your slip-up with the help of able-minded lawyers at your side.

Extensive knowledge of the local judicial system

Being a local team of specialized attorneys has its perks. We know how the judicial system works on the ground. We know the local law and the loopholes too. As we have been working closely with local courts for the last four decades, our lawyers have an amicable professional relationship with judges and public defenders.

Clients are advised to get legal help locally as lawyers from other states may not be licensed to practice in this state. Also, specific laws differ from state to state. For example, in Colorado, you are not obligated to comply with a portable breath test as its result is not admissible in the local court.

Confide in us with confidence

We urge our clients to be as honest and frank with us as possible. We are not here to judge you or your situation but help you get out of it with minimum damage. If things are kept in the dark, we will be unable to give you an accurate future assessment of your case.

We also encourage you to fire away all doubts and questions you might have during the first consultation itself. This way, you will get a good picture of whether to stick with us or move on to other options. Frankly, this saves a ton of time for both parties.

Call us at 970.926.6556 to speak with an expert directly.

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Howard helps clients involved with misdeameanor and traffic offenses in the Colorado “High Country.” Howard, LLC represents clients in Eagle County, Summit County, Clear Creek County, Lake County, Garfield County and Pitkin County including the towns of Aspen, Avon, Breckenridge, Dillon, Eagle, East Vail, Eagle-Vail, Edwards, Frisco, Georgetown, Glenwood Springs, Gypsum, Leadville, Silverthorne, West Vail and Wolcott.

*The information found on this website should not be construed as legal advice and is not a substitute for professional legal consultation. You should not base your legal decisions solely on the information found in this site and you are encouraged to seek the counsel of an attorney regarding your specific questions or situation. The information found herein may represent the opinions or commentary of the site editor(s) and is for informational or education purposes only. You agree by using this site that no attorney/client relationship has been formed between you and the attorneys, editors, owners, or participants in this site unless and until a written agreement has been signed between you and your attorney.