Suppose you are a repeat DUI offender in Connecticut and are currently facing a second or third DUI charge within a ten-year timeframe. In that case, you need to be aware of the serious consequences that will result if you are once again convicted. Multiple DUIs can result in extremely harsh penalties, including weighty fines, a suspension of your driver’s license, and possible prison time. Therefore, understanding the legal process and your rights when charged with this type of offense is essential. By educating yourself on the subject, you can make informed decisions about proceeding with your case and protecting your future. And remember, as you look to fight these charges, hiring an experienced DUI lawyer will be critical to ensuring you can pursue a case outcome that is favorable to you.

What You Need to Know About Multiple DUIs

In Connecticut, the penalties for multiple DUIs are severe. If you are convicted of two or more DUIs within 10 years, you may face mandatory minimum penalties that increase with each subsequent conviction.

For a second DUI conviction within 10 years, you may face a minimum jail sentence of 120 days but not more than two years. You may also need to complete 100 hours of community service. A second conviction will also result in a license suspension of three years and fines ranging from $1,000 to $4,000.

If you have been charged with a first offense of driving under the influence (DUI) in Connecticut, it is crucial that you understand the penalties involved. Connecticut has stringent laws concerning driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and the consequences of a DUI can be severe. While first-time DUI offenders face milder punishments than those who have committed multiple offenses, the consequences of a first-offense DUI can still be significant. Therefore, if you are facing a first-offense DUI charge, contact a criminal defense attorney right away to begin the process of building a solid defense.

Consequences of a First-Time DUI

Penalties may include the following:

• Jail time – A first-time offender may serve up to six months in prison if convicted. The court may also suspend the sentence and make partial alternative provisions, such as community service, probation, or paying a penalty fee.
• Driver’s license suspension – A first-time offender may lose driving privileges for up to 45 days and be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle. Without this device, the convicted driver will not be able to start their car.
• Fines – A first-time DUI offense comes with a fine that ranges from $500 to $1,000. The judge can also order additional costs, including drug or alcohol education programs or counseling.

What a Connecticut DUI Attorney Can Do for You

If you live in Connecticut and find yourself facing a first-time DUI charge, hiring an attorney can be extremely beneficial. Your Connecticut DUI attorney will evaluate the circumstances that led to your arrest and help determine the best course of action for you. In addition, your attorney will challenge the evidence against you, negotiate with the prosecutor on your behalf, and argue for a lesser sentence or a plea bargain.

If you are driving along and suddenly see the blue lights flashing behind you, signaling you to pull over, it can be intimidating even if you have done nothing wrong. It is critical to understand that if an officer pulls you over, anything you say to that officer can be used against you should there be subsequent criminal charges. Unfortunately, many drivers who are stopped by police forget that and they often become “chatty,” especially if the officer begins to ask them questions about whether they have had any alcoholic beverages leading up to the traffic stop.

If you have been stopped, the following statements are ones you want to avoid. If you get arrested, make sure you contact a skilled Connecticut criminal law attorney to defend you.

Admitting You Are Impaired

Admitting you are drunk or otherwise impaired is one of the worst things you can say to police if you are pulled over. That statement will not only result in the officer arresting you for drunk driving, but it will also likely be used by the prosecutor as an admission of guilt during the subsequent DUI case. It is basically a confession and could even be used to establish your guilt regardless of any chemical test results you may have submitted to.

Each year, there are approximately 12,000 people killed in drunk driving accidents. Hundreds of thousands more are left with serious injuries. According to national statistics, one in three fatal car accidents involves a drunk driver. This has led the National Transportation Safety Board  (NTSB) to recommend that all new vehicles be required to have an alcohol impairment detection system.

NTSB Recommendations

In its announcement, the NTSB listed several measures that would work to prevent drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel of their vehicles. They recommend that all passenger vehicles should have vehicle-integrated alcohol impairment detection systems, advanced driver monitoring systems, or a combination of both of these systems that would be able to prevent a driver from operating the vehicle if the system detects the driver is under the influence of alcohol.

Part of their recommendation was having the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  (NHTSA) require all new vehicles to be equipped with these systems. It is likely that under the NHTSA’s recommendation that this will eventually become law within the next 10 years or so.  

One of the important aspects of a drunk driving charge is the results of a breathalyzer test. These breath testing devices are small, hand-held devices that law enforcement uses to measure the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of the person taking the test. The BAC is the percentage of ethanol or ethyl alcohol in the person’s blood. For example, if a person has a BAC of 0.08 percent, that means that for every 800 parts of blood, there is one part of alcohol. Under Connecticut law, a person is considered legally intoxicated if their BAC measures 0.08 percent or above.

Although law enforcement deems these devices critical to their case against someone with a DUI charge, many people do not realize just how unreliable these tests actually are and how easy it is for test results to be thrown off if certain factors exist.

Types of Breath Tests

There are three major types of breath tests that a police officer may use during a DUI stop. All three measure the BAC present in the individual’s lungs; however, each device does it in a different manner: