The penalties for being charged with DUI and related crimes may vary from one state to another. In Arizona, the sanctions for commiting DUI may depend on the kind of offense, the degree, and the criminal record of the offender as well as the number of times the DUI offense was committed. During the investigation as well as in the hearing of the charge, you are entitled to have an Arizona DUI lawyer to defend you in court.
When you commit DUI for the first time and your blood alcohol content (BAC) is higher than the 0.8% restriction in Arizona, then you can be sentenced to 10 days imprisonment. While serving your jail term, alcohol screening, counseling, and treatment will be conducted. Aside from imprisonment, you will also pay a fine worth $1,475 and an additional $250 for the DUI abatement fund. Your driver’s license will also be suspended for three months and the court may opt to place you on probation for as long as 5 years.
If you committed the DUI offense for the second time and your BAC is more than 0.08%, your jail sentence would be 90 days, 60 of which will be devoted to alcohol screening, counseling, and treatment. The fine is worth $2675 and an additional $250 for the abatement fund. Additional penalties may include revocation of your license for twelve months and probation for a maximum of five years. The court also has the prerogative to forfeit the vehicle you used during the accident.
In extreme cases when your BAC is more than 0.15%, there are two likely scenarios that could happen. For the first offense, you may be imprisoned for a month, with 20 days alcohol screening, counseling, and treatment. The cost of fine is $2,225 and an additional $250 for the DUI abatement fund. Aside from that, your license will be suspended for a period of 90 days and you will be placed under probation for 5 years.
For the second extreme case of DUI, the jail term increases to 120 days, with 60 going to substance and alcohol abuse screening, counseling, and treatment. The fine is similar to the first extreme case as well as the $250 abatement fund. The revocation of license is also good for 90 days and you will be under probation for a maximum of 5 years.
If a child below 15 years of age is with you during the DUI accident, the offense becomes a felony and you will be subjected to more offenses and penalties. The prison term is longer ranging between 4 months to 2 years. The fine can reach as high as $150,000 and the license can be revoked for a period of three years. If this is the case, you can have an experienced Arizona DUI lawyer work out a defense that will reduce the penalties as well as the prison term.