What Are Virginia’s Laws On DUI?

For a first time offender, navigating the complex laws related to DUI in Virginia can be incredibly frustrating and challenging. To best understand your options, if you are indeed arrested for a DUI offense, there are a few things you are going to want to understand.

Knowledge is power when it comes to this type of circumstance. The more you know about Virginia DUI laws, the more productive your relationship with your DUI attorney is going to be.

Understanding Virginia DUI Laws

The penalties related to a DUI conviction vary, depending on how many prior convictions you have. While arrests can be contested and even beaten, the penalties for DUI convictions tend to include the following:

First offense: You may find yourself facing a minimum jail sentence of five days, two-hundred-and-fifty dollars in fines, and a license suspension of up to a single year.
Second offense: 2-time offenders may find themselves facing a jail term of twenty days to a full year, a minimum fine of five hundred dollars, a license suspension period of up to three years.

Third offense: If you are convicted for the third time, you may have your license suspended indefinitely. Furthermore, you may find yourself facing a minimum six-month jail sentence, in addition to minimum fines in the amount of one thousand dollars.

Obviously, you are going to want to take any DUI arrest seriously, regardless of whether you are facing your first conviction, your second, or your third. The severity of your charges is going to depend largely on your prior record, as well as something known as your BAC level (blood alcohol content). If you are under the age of twenty-one, you have to have a BAC level of .02%, to be considered legally drunk in the state of Virginia. If you are over the age of twenty-one, you must have a BAC level of .08%, to be considered legally drunk in the state of Virginia.

You should also keep in mind that Virginia has something called an implied consent law. What this means is that if you refuse to take a chemical test, you can be subject to automatic fines and suspensions. A 1st offense typically comes with a one-year suspension of your license. For 2nd or 3rd offenses, the suspension period can be even longer than that.

Regardless of your current situation, the dedicated DUI attorneys at the law office of David A.C. Long are able to give you the assistance you will need. So contact our experienced DUI attorneys today to ensure that you are rightfully protected. The law firm of David A.C. Long are able to represent clients that have been arrested for DUI in the following areas:

Bellevue Police Arrest Man For DUI Related Accident

According to Bellevue police, a DUI driver crashed into seven other vehicles on Thursday afternoon outside of the Factoria Mall. Following this event, the DUI driver attempted to carjack two other vehicles. A portion of the mall was closed down as a result. Many people called 911 to report the incident from the Factoria Mall.

When Police arrived, four civilians were holding the DUI driver down on the ground in attempts to keep the 32-year-old Lynnwood man from escaping before enforcers got to the scene. The driver was believed to be on some drug and was “pinballing” between the cars in the parking lot causing significant damage to most of the vehicles, as described by a witness.

The driver then exited his vehicle and attempted to remove two people in two different cars to carjack them. The first carjack victim, a man, was able to prevent the man from stealing his car. The second carjack victim was a woman. During the second carjacking attempt is when the four civilians managed to get him down to the ground No one involved in this seven car accident was seriously injured. However, the driver himself was sent to Overlake Hospital after complaining of arm pain. He was later transferred to King County Jail.

If you have been arrested for DUI in Bellevue and are not sure what to do, contact our dedicated criminal defense attorneys in Bellevue today.

Drunk Driver Arrested After Driving Wrong Way on I-85 Causing Accident in Dinwiddie

Late Monday Night, Virginia State Police responded to an accident involving three vehicles with medical personnel just after 9:30 p.m. Apparently, the accident occurred when a drunk Pennsylvania driver entered the wrong way on Interstate 85 and crashed into two semi-trucks. State Police shut down the highway for several hours until the scene of the accident was clear and investigators had gathered what they needed.

The driver was identified as Oxford, Pennsylvania resident Kellie Clyde. According to investigators, the 1997 Dodge Dakota struck a semi near a work zone at mile marker 49. The Dodge then spun around and came to rest in the center of I-85 where it was hit by another tractor-trailer.

Virginia State Police reported that Kellie was arrested and charged with DUI but didn’t disclose their condition.

If you or a family member have been arrested for DUI in Dinwiddie and are in need of help? Contact our experienced Dinwiddie DUI attorney today for a free legal consultation.