Oklahoma has some of the toughest DUI laws in the country. If you’ve been charged with a DUI, it’s important that you get a DUI lawyer in Oklahoma City who is familiar with the state and municipal laws and has a good track record of defending clients in these situations.
From a DUI Lawyer in Oklahoma City: Legal Penalties for First-Time DUI Offense
The exact penalties for a first-time offense will depend on what you are specifically charged with. For example, you could be charged with a DUI if you have a blood alcohol content of higher than .08%. If you are driving under the influence of an illegal or prescription drug, you might be charged with driving impaired. There is also a charge known as “actual physical control” which means that you were in physical control of a vehicle while impaired, even if you were not actually driving it.
Typically, a first-time offense for all of the above is a misdemeanor, but there are a few caveats. First, if you killed anyone in an accident, you’re also likely to be charged with vehicular manslaughter. If you were driving with a minor in your vehicle, there is a “DUI with a minor” charge. The consequences of both these charges are more severe than a typical “first-time offense.”
Typical First-Time Penalties
Jail Time
The judge can sentence you to anything from 10 days to up to one year in a county jail if you were charged by the state or by the municipality of Oklahoma City. The amount of time you spend in jail will depend on the specific circumstances of your arrest, your demeanor towards law enforcement and the court, and, perhaps most importantly, the skill of your attorney. For more information, click here.
Fines
If you’re charged by the state, you could be paying up to $1,000 in fines. If you are charged by the municipality of Oklahoma City, that goes up to $1,200.
Other Penalties
You will likely have to attend DUI school if you are being charged by the state, though you may not have to if you’re charged by a municipality within Oklahoma. In some cases, depending on the individual circumstances of your arrest and whether you take part in the Oklahoma Impaired Driver Accountability Program, you may have to have an interlock device installed on your car for a certain period of time.
First-Offense DUI Defense Strategies
When you work with an experienced lawyer, they will be able to help you explore all the possibilities for a defense against your charge. There are several things your lawyer may explore as a defense. For example, they may look at whether your symptoms of intoxication were caused by something other than alcohol or drugs. They may argue that the field sobriety tests were not accurate, and they are various ways to go about this. They may be able to base a defense on an officer’s behavior if any of your rights were violated, if the officer did not observe you for an appropriate amount of time, or if the officer did not have reasonable cause to pull you over.
If you’ve been charged with DUI, the best way to a good outcome is to connect with a qualified lawyer as soon as possible.
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