No DUI or DWI is a one-time offense. Since DUI and DWI are compounding offenses, having one on your record increases your potential for more serious fines and penalties, including jail time. When you have been arrested for DUI, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will be convicted. Immediate intervention by counsel can get you out from under a DUI/DWI charge, prevent your license from being suspended, and keep your record clean.
The Nature of DUI/DWI Arrests
If you’ve been pulled under suspicion of DUI/DWI, you know the drill. Most likely, you were asked to demonstrate your mental alertness and to take a breathalyzer test. Even if that breathalyzer test put you over North Carolina’s legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit of 0.08% that does not mean you were breaking the law when you were behind the wheel of your car. Breathalyzer tests performed at the scene are notoriously unreliable, and this is one of the main points your attorney can make as you fight the charge against you.
DUI/DWI Penalties in North Carolina
As a compounding crime, DUI/DWI charges increase with each subsequent arrest.
For a first arrest, penalties include:
- A minimum of 24 hours in jail
- A $200 fine
- A minimum license suspension of 60 days
For a second arrest, penalties include:
- A minimum of 4 days in jail
- A fine that is dependent upon factors of arrest
- A minimum license suspension of at least 1 year
For a third arrest, penalties include:
- A minimum of 14 days in jail
- A fine that is dependent upon factors of arrest
- A minimum license suspension of at least 1 year, with the possibility of permanent suspension
Anything after the first arrest also requires an ignition interlock device to be added to your vehicle, and penalties increase sharply if aggravating factors, including injury caused by an accident or having a child under 18 in the vehicle, are involved.
North Carolina DUI/DWI Attorney
When you are arrested for DUI/DWI, the most important thing to remember is, no matter what the reading on the breathalyzer, you may not have actually broken the law. Based out of Monroe, John Painter has been representing those charged with DUI/DWI in North Carolina since 1981. He serves clients in Union, Anson, Stanly, and Mecklenburg Counties, and can help you keep a DUI arrest from turning into a DUI conviction, so your driving record stays clean.
