DUI Attorneys in Charleston will provide you with a strong defense to enable you to fight these charges. It is up to your selected attorney to evaluate your charges and any previous convictions you have. Through this evaluation, your attorney discovers whether or not there are any traffic violation laws that may help your particular case. It is through careful examination that your attorney may prevent a conviction.
DUI Charges in Charleston
First Offenses
Your first DUI offense will present you with the possibility of spending at least two days in jail. However, since it is a first offense your judge may be lenient and ask you to perform community services. Some judges may also provide the option of entering into a drug or alcohol treatment center instead of jail. However, you would have to show signs of an addiction and not just a one-time mistake. With a first offense, if you refuse to take a sobriety test your license is suspended for six months.
Second Offenses
With a second offense, the typical jail sentence is five days in jail. If you refuse to take a breathalyzer test, the judge will suspend your licenses for nine months. The second conviction like a first-time offense is also a misdemeanor.
Third Offenses
Third offenses produce a sixty day jail sentence upon conviction. Refusal to take the breathalyzer test will result in your driver’s license becoming suspended for one year. With a third conviction, you are looking at the possibility of stricter punishments if you receive this third conviction within a ten year period.
In conclusion, a DUI attorney represents anyone who is charged with driving under the influence. These attorneys establish whether there are any existing traffic laws that are beneficial to each case to prevent a conviction. First offense DUI charges in Charleston require a forty-eight hour stay in jail. Second offenses receive a five day jail sentence. Once you have received a third DUI conviction within a ten year period you will service sixty days in the county jail. Any additional charges beyond a third conviction may be classified as a felony.
