Orange County DUI penalties and fines are a strong deterrent to driving under the influence.
Every year in California, there are roughly 200,000 DUI arrests and between 140,000 and 150,000 convictions. Since the dangers of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol are apparently not enough to deter drivers, California has enacted strict penalties for this practice. Here is a brief overview of the Orange County DUI penalties & fines applicable to various DUI offenses that every driver needs to know about.
DUI Under 21
California has a Zero Tolerance law for drivers under 21, meaning that any young driver with a BAC of 0.01 or higher can be charged with DUI. If convicted, the following penalties may apply:
- License suspension
- DUI school
- Fines totaling hundreds of dollars
If, in addition to having alcohol in your system you also have opened alcohol containers in your car, you can also face vehicle impoundment and fines of up to $1,000.
DUI Over 21
Adults over 21 are subject to Orange County DUI penalties & fines if they have a BAC of 0.08 while driving a passenger vehicle or a BAC of 0.04 while driving a commercial vehicle. The following penalties may apply:
- Immediate administrative license suspension by DMV
- Additional license suspension by court order
- Up to 6 months in jail
- Up to $1,000 in fines
- 30-day vehicle impoundment at your expense
- Installation of ignition interlock device
- DUI program
- Probation
These penalties assume you are a first-time offender. For second or third convictions, the amount of jail time and fines will be increased and you may have your license revoked instead of suspended.
Penalties for DUI of Drugs
The penalties and fines associated with a conviction for DUI of drugs are typically the same as those for DUI of alcohol described above. The difference is that without a drug version of the BAC limit, there is no clear standard of what level of drug use constitutes impairment. This can often prove very helpful to DUI attorneys defending against charges for DUI of drugs. It’s important to bear in mind that illegal drugs are not the only substances that can form the basis for a DUI of drugs charge. Any prescription or over-the-counter drug that can impair reaction times or driving ability can lead to a DUI conviction.
How a DUI Attorney Can Help
Hiring a DUI attorney as soon as you are arrested for DUI ensures that the process of building your defense begins as quickly as possible. Your DUI attorney can not only petition for the revocation of the DMV’s administrative license suspension, but also gather evidence that may help to get the charges against you dismissed. For example, your DUI attorney may be able to identify flaws in the administration of field sobriety tests or chemical tests that will render their results unreliable and thereby destroy the prosecution’s defense against you. Remember, a DUI arrest is not a conviction so don’t give up hope that a DUI attorney can help you!
