Denver Underage DUI Lawyer
Driving under the influence of alcohol (a DUI) is widely understood to occur when the driver has a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher. However, an underage driver can be sentenced with a UDD (underage drinking and driving) with a BAC as low as 0.02. If you, or your child, were arrested for a UDD or a DUI, you need to speak with an lawyer as soon as possible. Denver underage DUI lawyer Reid DeChant at DeChant Law specializes in exactly these types of cases, and can offer you the invaluable legal support that you need at this time.
Penalties for a Underage Drinking and Driving Offense
A UDD occurs when an underage driver (a driver under 21) is pulled over with a BAC of 0.02 to 0.05 percent. Any higher than 0.05 and the offense will be classified as a full DUI, not a UDD. A first offense for a UDD is a Class A traffic infraction, which is not a crime, but still carries heavy penalties:
- Three month driver’s license suspension
- 24 hours of community service
- $100 in fines
- Completion of an alcohol or drug course
Subsequent offenses carry harsher penalties. A second offense is a Class 2 traffic misdemeanor, punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a six-month-long suspension of a driver’s license.
Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
An underage driver who has a BAC of 0.05 percent to 0.08 percent will be charged with a Class 2 traffic misdemeanor, punishable by:
- At least 10 days in jail, and up to 90 days in jail $300 in fines; and
- A six-month-long driver’s license revocation
- Up to $300 in fines
- Eight points on their driver’s license
- 24 to 48 hours of community service
An underage driver with a BAC of 0.08 or higher will be charged just like an adult, with a misdemeanor, punishable by the following:
- Five days to a year year in jail
- Up to a nine-month suspension of their license
- Fines of up to $1,000
- 48 to 96 hours of community service
Call a Denver Underage DUI Lawyer
As with any criminal offense or traffic violation, DUIs and UDDs can be challenged by an attorney. There are many possible avenues for defense. If your child was a minor and police interrogated them without you or the child’s other parent present, if the arresting officer did not have probable cause to conduct the traffic stop, or if the blood or breath test was performed incorrectly, we can start there. No matter the circumstances of your or your child’s UDD or underage DUI, an attorney can help you have the charges dismissed, or the penalties reduced. Here at DeChant Law, we also provide legal services for having underage UDDs expunged so that they do not haunt your child in the future. For the best DUI and UDD legal defense possible, call Denver underage DUI lawyer Reid DeChant at DeChant Law today at 303-409-7500 for a free case evaluation.
