In the United States, each state has their own laws when it comes to drinking and driving. In spite of this, the number of drunk driving cases continues to double each year over the past couple of years. This only shows that people are not aware or do not consider driving drunk or driving under the influence as a very dangerous and even fatal movement, not only for the driver and passengers but also for other drivers and pedestrians.
Knowing and understanding the laws and the circumstances surrounding driving under the influence could come in handy especially if you get involved in a DUI case. Punishments for DUI cases vary depending on the kind and degree of the case. Aside from this, a number of aggravating factors may affect the sentence to be given to you. To cite an example, it exacerbates your case when you are caught driving while intoxicated with a child below 16 years of age inside the vehicle. You not only put yourself in danger but you also endanger the lives of children. Another good example of an aggravating factor is being arrested for a DUI violation or a DWI violation more than once over a ten year period. Lastly, your case could also go from bad to worse if the amount of alcohol content in your blood when you got arrested is more than.20, the acceptable alcohol content limit. Aside from the mentioned examples, there are plenty of other aggravating circumstances that have been continuously changing over the years.
Considering these aggravating factors, the punishment you will face can be different. Penalties can range from the payment of simple fines and community services to the suspension of your driver’s license and imprisonment. There are some cases where violators get a combination of penalties. Everything will depend on how well you can convince the person handling your case that you will not repeat the violation.
Although you can prepare and learn these things, DUI cases are still better handled by DUI lawyers. You can research or read about it but it is still a better decision to hire a DUI lawyer who has the knowledge, expertise and experience in handling these cases.