How A Philadelphia DUI Lawyer Can Help You in The Court of Law

No matter how ethically you lead your life or how responsible a citizen you are, if you have been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI), it can all come crashing down in an instant.  You can be charged with driving under the influence if you are driving while impaired by drugs, alcohol, or a combination of the two. Though most people believe that they can only be charged with DUI in Philadelphia if their blood alcohol content (BAC) is higher than .08, a police officer is able to arrest you for drunk driving even without that particular benchmark being met. If you have been charged with drunk driving in the city of Philadelphia, there are many ways that a Philadelphia DUI lawyer can help you in the court of law. Contact the experienced Philadelphia DUI lawyers at Erik B. Jensen Attorneys at Law to learn more about how.

The system that the city of Philadelphia uses to judge and penalize those found guilty of driving under the influence are based upon both the blood alcohol content that is measured at the time that you are brought into the police station and whether you have previously been convicted of DUI. Blood alcohol content is a measure of the concentration of alcohol that is found within your blood – a BAC of 0.08 means that your blood contains eight one hundredths of a percent of alcohol.

A BAC of between 0.08 and 0.99 merits the lowest level of penalty, which generally is punishable by up to six months of probation, a $300 fine, mandatory enrollment in an alcohol education program and the possibility of having to attend a treatment program.  Those punishments are expanded for second and third offenses, with penalties going as high as $500 to $5,000 in fines, a one-year license suspension, and ten days to two years in prison. You may also be required to have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle to prevent you from starting it until you have passed a BAC test.

A BAC of between .10 and .159 is the middle level of penalty, and the highest level is designated as having a BAC of .16 or higher. This level is generally punishable by up to a one year license suspension, three days to six months in prison and $1,000 to $5,000 in fines, with repeat offenders punished by 18 months of license suspension, one to five years in prison, fines up to $10,000, and more.

In addition to the punishment meted out by the judicial system, those convicted of DUI often face public embarrassment, loss of employment, increased insurance rates and other negative consequences. The Philadelphia DUI Lawyers at Erik B. Jensen Attorneys at Law have the knowledge and experience you need to provide you with the ability to plead your case to a lesser offense, to have your case thrown out based on your rights having been violated, or even of being found not guilty. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

Learn more from our Philadelphia DUI Lawyer HERE.