DUI (DWI, Driving While Intoxicated, Driving Under the Influence, Drunk Driving) is an offense that brings many people before the court who would not otherwise be involved with the criminal justice system as a criminal defendant. Throughout recent years the trend has been to make DUI laws more strict, with harsher punishments. Current DUI Penalties in Virginia are detailed here and show penalties for drunk driving in Virginia that are more harsh then they have ever been. For example, DUI penalties require mandatory jail time when a person’s blood alcohol level is above 0.15 or if it is a second or subsequent conviction.
Judges often treat people subsequent convictions very harshly and impose jail time in addition to the minimum required time. The penalties contained in the Virginia Code are minimum penalties, and a person who is charged with DUI can often get jail time even when it is not required by the code, for example in cases where an accident or reckless driving has occurred. Any person charged with DUI, even a first offense, faces the potential to serve a significant amount of time in jail.
Anyone facing a charge of DUI should obtain an attorney to represent them in court. Call the Law Offices of Joseph T. Brown PLC at 540-786-7700 for a free consultation.