Now is a very special time of year. High school prom and graduation are events many people look forward to for many years, and for parents, it can be a bittersweet time. The kids are growing up and about to leave the nest – time to celebrate! Let them go and have fun with their friends before the scatter around the country for college.
Sure, you don’t want to nag your son or daughter – you trust them to make appropriate decisions, for the most part – but you should talk to them about one issue that impacts not only their safety and wellbeing, but also their future for many years to come…
Underage DUI.
Anyone who’s under 21 can’t even have a few sips before driving
California has a Zero Tolerance Law for underage drinking. That means that if a driver is underage (under 21) and found to have even a tiny amount of alcohol in their system – even if it’s just .01%, they could be arrested for DUI. That’s one eighth of the legal limit for adults. Many people are totally unaware of this law, and end up being shocked to find out that even if their son or daughter has a few seemingly innocuous sips of beer at a party, they could be hit with a DUI charge that could seriously impact their lives.
Discuss!
Talk to your sons and daughters about this before they go to any parties – it would be horrible if they were arrested for DUI because they simply didn’t know they could be after only drinking a small amount. Most everyone knows not to drive drunk – but teenagers may not realize the potential repercussions of driving just with a slight buzz.
Simply transporting alcohol can result in negative repercussions. If an 18-year-old is discovered with alcohol in their car – even if they’re stone-cold sober at the time the police officer pulls them over – their car could be taken away for 30 days. If you’re caught with alcohol in your car and one of your parents isn’t with you, your car will be impounded by the police. You’ll have to pay steep fees to get it back, too.
Special considerations for Underage DUI
If your teenager is charged with underage DUI, there will be serious consequences if they’re convicted. Their license will be suspended for a minimum of one year (for adults the minimum is 4 months), they may have to attend DUI classes or counseling, and heavy fines may be a part of their sentence, too. They will have to report the DUI conviction on college and job applications, just like an adult would, which can result in many missed opportunities.
One small piece of good news is that underage DUIs are almost always charged as infractions – not misdemeanors or felonies, so your son or daughter won’t have a permanent stain on their criminal record as a result of a DUI conviction.
Already dealing with an underage DUI arrest?
If your son or daughter has already been arrested for DUI, contact Attorney Dan Chambers of the Chambers Law Firm immediately. He’ll give you specific legal advice and solid representation throughout the DUI case. He’ll always answer your questions and concerns in a timely manner, and work hard to achieve the ideal outcome. You can also count on him to be honest about what you can reasonably expect the outcome to be without exaggerating or sugarcoating at all.
All prospective clients are welcome to schedule a free initial consultation with Attorney Chambers by calling 714-760-4088, emailing dchambers@clfca.com, or using the chat box below. Schedule yours ASAP after a DUI arrest so Attorney Chambers has the maximum amount of time to prepare a stellar defense and hopefully prevent a conviction.
