Earlier this week on our Athens, Georgia, DUI law blog, we mentioned that University of Georgia students and other college students in the area may not always face serious consequences at school for minor alcohol-related offenses if the offense is the student’s first criminal charge. However, students could still face legal consequences if they are convicted of underage consumption of alcohol or drunk driving.
When a student, or any other Georgia resident, is charged and convicted multiple times for an alcohol-related offense such as drunk driving, the individual will face severe legal and social consequences. For this reason, defending one’s criminal charges is extremely important in order to prevent individuals from facing repeat DUI charges or other offenses if at all possible.
To illustrate just how serious DUI charges are in Georgia and throughout the entire U.S., especially repeat offenses, one man’s bail was set at $100,000 earlier this week after police charged him with his third DUI within a five-day period.
The man was arrested twice last week and again on Sunday for drunk driving in California. Although the man will face different penalties if he is convicted compared to the penalties Georgia motorists face, his high bail amount is a strong indicator that California does not take repeat drunk driving charges lightly either.
In Georgia, two DUI convictions within a five-year period will trigger repeat offender penalties. These penalties may include mandatory jail time, drug and alcohol dependency evaluations and treatment and the suspension of one’s driver’s license. A third arrest for drunk driving within a five-year period in Georgia could result in felony charges. A third DUI conviction within five years could also result in a 120-day minimum jail sentence.
These penalties for repeat DUI offenses are very severe, which is why Athens residents need to understand that aggressively protecting one’s rights in any case of alleged drunk driving is extremely important.
Source: San Diego 10 News, “Imperial Beach Man Has 3rd DUI Arrest In 5 Days,” Jan. 22, 2012