As a resident of Salt Lake City, there are laws that you have to fully understand to avoid paying fines, being imprisoned, and having a criminal record, especially when you are just new in Utah. One of the common crimes that happen to millions of individuals around the world is DUI or Driving Under Influence, which could be in a form of alcohol or prohibited drugs. Therefore, when you are facing this situation, a Salt Lake City DUI attorney must be consulted immediately so that you can avoid having a criminal record on this site and to reduce the trouble that you have done while driving.
To be in this situation is a serious matter and sometimes, we cannot manage to deal with this issue on our own because we drunk alcohol or took drugs and the effect might have not yet subsided, which may lead to wrong decisions or inaccurate information. We may have family members or friends to rescue us, but the fact is that they are not lawyers, so they may not be able to help, though they can call the law firm for you. It would be a good idea to ask them for recommendations when you have no time to search for one.
The authorities are strictly implementing laws because they would like to have a peaceful and safe community for everybody so we have to understand that they are just doing their jobs the moment they asked us to slow down and get checked for BAC. Do not even blame the police officers who are on duty because the fault is on our side, especially when we have caused an accident or damaged someone’s property. I guess you just need to learn more about the laws in Utah to prevent such situations because having a record may stain your reputation.
Driving Under the Influence
An individual who is arrested in Utah due to driving under the influence of either alcohol or illegal drug may face a criminal case – visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_under_the_influence to learn more. One of the offenses could be brought by Utah as the state where you are and this will be resolved only through hearings in the trial court. The other offense will be brought by the Driver’s License Division of Utah and that is the suspension or revocation of your license.
This is a crime in most countries or states that is committed when driving a motor vehicle where the driver is impaired or influenced, which made him incapable of safely operating his vehicle. With this offense, it is not necessary to drive a car because even when you are just parked, holding your key, and on the motorist’s seat, the authorities may still charge you with this crime.
Penalties or charges will actually depend on the state so through a lawyer, you will be able to have someone to defend you whether you are at fault or not. Again, you just need to be very sure that your attorney will assess your case, give you advice, and represent you during the hearing.
BAC
When you are living in Salt Lake City, you are not allowed to operate a vehicle when your BAC or the breath or blood alcohol content is 0.05% onwards. Reasons, such as you are coming from a party or any important and personal event that’s why you drank will never be an excuse. As a responsible citizen, you should know the rules and obey the law because everybody is treated equally when it comes to crimes and offenses.
The police office in-charged will choose the type of test to conduct and you should not refuse to perform this even when you know that you can contact an attorney. This is just an initial procedure, anyway. Therefore, charges may still change after the judicial review.
By the way, you will be given a privilege to drive again after the court trial. However, you need to deal with the Driver’s License Division in Salt Lake City for this and through your lawyer’s help, things may be processed quickly because you only have ten days to fix this issue. When you fail to appear on the court, then your privilege may be forfeited and you won’t be able to drive for 4 months to 3 years.
Penalties
It is a crime to drive while you are intoxicated and this carries penalties. It is stated under 41-6a-502 and 41-6a-517 of Utah Code that an individual cannot control a motor vehicle under the influence or intoxicated of drugs or alcohol and when his BAC is 0.08% or higher than this, though this was changed to 0.05% – go here for further reading. The penalty will depend on the range of your offense and number of convictions like for first-timers, you will fall under Class B Misdemeanor, and Class A Misdemeanor when an injured person is involved or when you are with a minor during the arrest.
For a Class B Misdemeanor, you will be charged with 1420 USD up to 1950 USD and the court will impose this fine. You will be staying in jail for a minimum of 2 days, which is mandatory, you will have to complete 2-day community service, and attend screening or assessment and treatment. Those with 0.16% or higher BAC will need to install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle at your own expense, which will last for 1 year and 6 months, while when the offender is below 21 years old then he will keep this for 3 years.
You should know that your license will be suspended for 120 days when you are over 19 years of age and when you are younger, that would be another year more. By the way, a first-timer will be given probation and that would be for a year, which means that your case will be open until you finish the probation. The court’s clerk in-charged will keep an eye on your case and will make sure that you are going to meet all the conditions that’s why it is important to consult a lawyer because he can find a way to reduce the penalties, charges, and fees.