Richmond VA DUI Defense Attorneys
At Cravens & Noll in Chesterfield and Henrico, our attorneys provide careful, experienced, and reliable client service on the full range of DUI charges from first offender cases to felony homicide cases. For a free initial consultation about your legal options in defense of a DUI case, contact a lawyer at either of our Richmond offices.
Even for a first DWI conviction, the penalties and fines can be very substantial, and can easily exceed $3,500 between the fines, court costs, and payments to the Virginia Alcohol Safety Awareness Program. Then there is the mandatory driver's license revocation for one year, and the prospect of tripled auto insurance premiums under the SR-22 driver risk category. If you happened to provide a breathalyzer sample indicating a blood alcohol concentration .15 percent or higher, you are also looking at mandatory jail time.
In general, however, although each case is different, the following penalties apply for DUI convictions in the state of Virginia:
- First DUI: a $250 minimum fine; a one year revocation of your driver's license
- Second DUI: a $500 minimum fine; the revocation of your driver's license for three years; a possible jail sentence of up to one year. If this is your second DUI within 5 years of your first conviction, you will receive a mandatory 20 days in jail. If this is your second DUI conviction within 10 years of your first, you will receive a minimum 10-day jail sentence.
- Third DUI: a $1,000 minimum fine; the mandatory revocation of your driver's license for an indefinite period of time; prosecution as a Class 6 felony. If you are convicted for a third DUI within 5 years of your first, you must serve a 6 month, mandatory minimum jail sentence. If convicted within 10 years of your first DUI, you must serve a 90-day mandatory minimum jail sentence.
- Fourth DUI: a 1 year mandatory minimum jail sentence
Additionally, now under Virginia state law, a first time DUI offender may be ordered to install and ignition interlock device on his or her car. If ordered to do so, you must shoulder the cost of the ignition interlock device and comply with all requirements to ensure it is calibrated and working accurately.
Challenging the Evidence involved in a DUI Arrest
Our DUI criminal defense attorneys examine your case carefully for weaknesses of both procedure and proof. We can challenge the circumstances of your traffic stop, the operation of a checkpoint, a field sobriety test, or your arrest for driving under the influence. Whenever possible, we can also attack the evidence of driving while intoxicated by submitting your blood alcohol sample for expert forensic analysis. Whether or not your case is suitable for trial, we can accomplish a great deal to protect you from the worst consequences of a DUI conviction.
Minimizing the Consequences of a DUI Conviction
For example, we can help you obtain a restricted permit even after your license has been revoked if we can represent you soon enough. This may require the installation of an ignition interlock device on your car. For licensed professionals such as physicians, nurses, lawyers, or teachers, we can help protect you from disciplinary action that your licensing board might bring against you. And for university students at schools such as UVA, VMI, VCU, the University of Richmond, Hampton, Virginia State, or Old Dominion, we can handle your case with an eye toward minimizing the damage to your current academic standing or your future professional prospects. For drivers under 21, a blood alcohol concentration of just .02 percent will support a DUI conviction.
In felony DUI cases, we approach your defense the same way we would with any other serious criminal offense. We concentrate on reducing or eliminating the worst charges as early in the case as possible while preparing your defense for the most effective presentation possible at trial.
Contact DUI Defense Lawyers at Cravens & Noll Today
To learn more about the scope of our DUI, DWI, criminal defense services, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Cravens & Noll in Richmond for a free initial consultation.
