DUI School

Society at large tends to regard drunk driving offenses as dangerous and therefore often insists on harsh penalties for convictions.  Depending on your circumstances and the level of offense, the penalties go from bad to worse.  Recently, punishment for DUI became harsher.  And lobbying groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) push regularly to increase the severity of punishment.

Statistics may be on the lobbyists’ side.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) credits the raising of the legal drinking age to 21 with preventing nearly 1,000 deaths annually.  In another study, researchers found that after blood alcohol limits were lowered, the proportion of night time single vehicle fatal crashes in younger drivers dropped 16 percent.

Potential penalties for drunk driving charges
Following are the penalties for the drunk driving offenses per Tennessee DUI laws:

DUI First Offense

Jail—up to 29 days

Probation—up to 11 months
Fines—up to $1,500
One-year license revocation
Possible community service
Possible DUI school
Possible ignition interlock device
2nd offense (http://www.tn.gov/safety/duioutline.htm#duisecond) (within 10 years)

Jail—up to 11 months

Probation—up to 11 months
Fines—up to $3,500
Two-year license revocation
Possible community service
Treatment program
Ignition interlock device
Possible vehicle forfeiture

DUI Third Offense (within ten years)

Jail—up to 11 months

Probation—up to 11 months
Fines—up to $10,000
Three to ten-year license revocation
Possible community service
Treatment program
Ignition interlock device
Possible vehicle forfeiture

DUI Fourth Offense (within ten years)

Jail—up to six years

Probation—up to six years
Fines—up to $15,000
Five-year minimum license revocation
Possible community service
Treatment program
Ignition interlock device
Possible vehicle forfeiture
Class E felony charge

Additionally, the following charges are felonies in Tennessee:

Vehicular assault—serious injury to another by a DUI driver
Child endangerment—DUI with passenger under age 13
Vehicular homicide
Aggravated vehicular assault while DUI

A conviction in the above felony charges means long prison sentences and a criminal record.

Legal advice for drunk driving offenses
Consult a skilled Memphis DUI law firm to determine your best legal options if you have been charged with drunk driving in Memphis, TN.

Originally published here.

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