With the amount of tragedy that has resulted from accidents involving drunk drivers, state laws have been significantly bolstered to make the punishment for being caught driving while drunk quite severe. This is done to discourage such behavior. However, as is clearly the case, these laws don’t necessarily cause a cessation of drunk driving. That means if a person has been caught and charged with driving under the influence, drunk driving law attorneys in Vermont are essential for the upcoming legal battle they face.
There are many ways that charges for driving under the influence can play out for an individual. For example, if it is the first offense, and the person has had little to no legal issues in the past, the minimum penalty may not be severe. While this could entail up to two years in jail, for people with no legal issues in the past, little if any jail time will be imposed. However, a person’s license will be suspended for 90 days, and they could face fines of up to $750. While this isn’t an ideal situation, many will argue that in these situations, an attorney will likely do very little good, especially if the person was actually drunk while driving.
In situations where a person is facing their second or third offense for driving while drunk, the penalties can be even steeper. The second offense can carry up to two years in jail, it will carry a fine of $1500 and a person will lose their license for 18 months. For third offenses, five years in jail could be the sentence as well as $2500 in fines and person’s driver’s license is revoked permanently. Given the situation, having the representation of an attorney is important. They may be able to poke holes in the defense’s case or they may be able to negotiate with the prosecuting attorney to reduce the punishment in exchange for going to rehab or doing community service.
Each case is different, which is why believing that Drunk Driving Law Attorneys in Vermont will be able to have the charges against you dropped may not be reasonable. However, if you’re facing a second or third offense, or perhaps somebody has been injured during your first drunk driving offense, you may want to Contact Jason J. Sawyer, Attorney & Counselor At Law. These are times that you will need legal representation.
