West Virginia legislators are creating more extensive laws to reduce the frequency of drunk driving and maintain safe roadways throughout the state. As a jumping-off point to combat this crime, the standard penalties for a DWI offense have been increased substantially. If you are facing this offense, you should contact DWI Attorneys Martinsburg WV immediately.
Penalties for Driving While Intoxicated:
1. Blood-Alcohol Content of 0.08 to 0.15 Percent: This charge incurs a jail sentence of no more than six months. Fines range between $100 and $500. The license suspension is a minimum of six months; which is reduced only after the driver attends DUI driving school. DWI Attorneys Martinsburg WV can assist with a plead bargain, and the judge may reduce the penalties to a fifteen-day suspension with a required one hundred sixty-five days of using an ignition interlocking device.
2. Blood-Alcohol Content of 0.15 Percent or Higher: The jail sentence incurred ranges between forty-eight hours and six months. Fines range between $200 and $1,000. The driver must use an ignition interlocking device for no less than nine months. DWI Attorneys Martinsburg WV can plead this charge down to forty-five day suspension, if the driver participates in the ignition interlocking program as directed by the judge.
3. DUI Resulting in Injury: Drivers who chose to drive drunk and cause an injury may be sentences to twenty-four hours to one year in jail. Fines range from $200 to $1,000. The driver’s license is suspended for two years. DWI attorneys could fight this charge if the victim shares the fault in the accident.
4. DUI With a Fatality: When a fatality occurs as a result of a DUI, the at-fault driver faces between two and ten years in prison. Fines are between $1,000 and $3,000. The driver’s license is suspended for ten years with an additional two years required for the ignition interlocking device program. Drivers facing this charge which had a blood-alcohol content that exceeded 0.15 percent could receive double the penalties, based on the circumstances of the fatality.
Civil penalties that are filed against a driver who is charged in criminal court for a DUI are established in a different hearing. When an injury or fatality occurs, it is likely that the accused may face litigation in conjunction with criminal charges. If you are arrested for this traffic violation, you should hire DWI Attorneys Martinsburg WV immediately following the booking process.
