First DUI Offense

First DUI Offense Punishments Guide – Know Your Rights

From a general point of view, getting your first DUI offense is of mild nature. Los Angeles law officials have illustrated various crime scene scenarios, where the severity of first DUI offenses may be much more serious than they need to be. The “mild” nature of punishments for a person’s first DUI offense is always a little different with respect to on-going state laws. If the person has been charged with a DUI for the first time in one state, and has fled to another state, he’ll be charged according to the laws of the state where the incident originally took place. Los Angeles first DUI offense convictions involve a wide range of fines, license suspension for a brief period of time, a sentence to rehabilitation programs and AA meetings. While all of this is being determined through the judicial system, the arresting officer is more than happy to have your vehicle impounded.

How Does a First DUI Offense Get Enhanced?

Enhancement, in case of any DUI offense, means that the offense has now been taken to a whole new level of seriousness. The following examples show how a first timer ends up facing more extreme consequences in Los Angeles:

• If an accident has resulted, causing injury to another party (especially if a minor is involved). In case of a death, the first DUI offense punishment takes the form of a confirmed jail time.
• BAC levels were near or way beyond .20.
• If the defendant wasn’t 21 year old; there is a zero tolerance factor in this case.
• Chemical tests for alcohol are not supposed to be refused. If the defendant refused to take a test, this may cause the officers to use the refusal as evidence against him/her.
• First DUI offense takes the form of a DUI felony if personal injury is sustained. As stated above, deaths can also trigger charges of manslaughter.

The Most Common Mistake Made By First Timers

The most common mistake made by first time DUI offenders is that they tend to flee. If you are facing a similar situation, you’ll get nervous – it is part of the emotional reaction chain. You may not be drunk, but if due to any carelessness, you end up smashing your car into someone else’s, causing a fair number of body injuries – do not run away. The police officers will probably give you a break if enough evidence isn’t available, but they never give second chances to drivers who run away from the crime scene. In other words, your DUI case will be stepped up to a hit and run incident. The Los Angeles police force, DMV offices and courts are extremely cautious against such situations. First time offenders are always welcome at the offices of our Downtown LA Law firm. Backed up by various experts in Los Angeles DUI defense cases and a client-friendly environment, our law firm is exactly what you should be looking for when in dire need. Give us a call today.