If your son or daughter was just arrested for underage DUI, you’re probably really worried. Questions are swirling around your head:
What will happen now? Will they have to go to jail? What’s the evidence against them? They never get drunk – how could this happen? How could they be so irresponsible? What will the impact on their future be? Is there even a way to prevent conviction? Will they have to pay steep fines? Will they even be able to drive again?
OK, take a breath. Finding out what your son or daughter has been charged with underage DUI is horrible, but it’s not the end of the world. There are many ways in which a underage DUI charge can be beat or at least reduced to lesser penalties.
Underage DUI is usually an infraction
What’s good about an underage DUI is that it’s almost always charged as an infraction, not a misdemeanor or felony. This means that there’s no possibility of jail time, and the charge won’t appear on your son or daughter’s permanent record if they’re convicted.
But my son or daughter never gets drunk!
As a result of California’s Zero Tolerance Law, a minor doesn’t need to be drunk to be charged with underage DUI. If a minor is found to have a .01% BAC (blood alcohol level), they may be charged with underage DUI. So if your son or daughter just had one beer or a few sips of a mixed drink and then drove, they may be arrested for underage DUI. Perhaps your son or daughter is pretty responsible about drinking a reasonable amount, and simply had no idea they were putting themselves at risk for a DUI. Bottom line – one under 21 should ever drink or drive – serious charges can result if they do.
Potential penalties of underage DUI
You should do everything you can to ensure your son or daughter isn’t convicted of underage DUI because if they are convicted, they’ll have to pay fines, attend a mandatory alcohol and/or drug program, and their license will be suspended for at least a year.
Misdemeanor and felony underage DUI charges
If your son or daughter was found to have a blood alcohol level of .08% or above (which is above the adult legal BAC level), they may be charged with an adult DUI, which is usually a misdemeanor charge. If they injured or killed someone while DUI, or if they have had more than one DUI charge, they may even be charged with a felony DUI, which often carries the possibility of jail time.
Future impact of underage DUI
Even if your son or daughter’s underage DUI charge is an infraction, their future will be impacted if they are convicted. They’ll have to report this DUI charge and any other criminal charge on college admissions and job applications, just like an adult would. This may affect their chances of getting into their top choice for college, and finding summer or part-time work may prove to be more difficult than usual.
Get Help Now
The best way to prevent a conviction in your son or daughter’s underage DUI case is to get help from Southern California’s DUI specialist, Attorney Dan Chambers of the Chambers Law Firm. Your son or daughter’s initial consultation is free. There, you’ll both be able to learn about California underage DUI laws and receive free, personalized legal advice from Attorney Chambers.
Schedule your son or daughter’s first appointment with Attorney Chambers ASAP after their arrest by contacting the Chambers Law Firm. Call 714-760-4088, email dchambers@clfca.com, or use the chat box below now.
