Helping People Resolve Repeat Offender DUI Charges

Conviction as a repeat offender on Georgia DUI charges can expose you to severe punishment and penalties, including mandatory jail time, drug and alcohol dependency evaluation and treatment, and lengthy suspension of your driver’s license. To learn how you can avoid these consequences as a repeat DUI offender, contact a skilled DUI defense attorney at Daniels & Rothman in Athens.

Two DUI Convictions In Five Years Will Trigger Repeat Offender Penalties

While the most obvious way to avoid a repeat DUI conviction is to avoid the possibility of a DUI arrest, the second-best way is to hire a defense attorney who knows how to win DUI cases. Georgia criminal trial lawyer Jeff Rothman is a member of the National College for DUI Defense and the DUI Defense Lawyers Association (DUIDLA). He knows how to develop and present effective defenses in pretrial hearings and at trial.

Common Penalties For A Repeat DUI

Georgia takes drunk driving allegations very seriously. The ramifications increase with each subsequent arrest. A repeat offender could potentially get a much more severe sentence than someone who has never been arrested on DUI charges before.

For example, a DUI qualifies as a misdemeanor in Georgia when it is your first conviction. There is a mandatory jail term of 24 hours, but the sentence could be a full year behind bars – along with probation. You may need to pay fines from $300-$1,000, along with doing community service for 40 hours. Finally, your driver’s license will be suspended for a year, and you have to undergo a risk reduction program to get it reinstated.

In some cases, you can show a “need to drive” and get your license back early with an ignition interlock device (IID) that measures your BAC prior to driving.

If you get a second DUI conviction, however, the minimum jail term doubles to 48 hours. The maximum is still one year. The minimum fine also doubles to $600, although the maximum stays at $1,000. The most significant change is that the driver’s license suspension increases to three years.

Any subsequent offense after that, including a third offense, means that you will have your conviction published in the newspaper as a habitual offender. The police can take your vehicle and your license plates. The minimum jail term is 120 days and fines could be as much as $5,000. You will also lose your driver’s license for the next five years.

What Is The Difference Between Your First And Second DUI?

The main difference is simply that a second DUI is a subsequent arrest within 10 years of a first conviction. If there are more than 10 years between convictions, it may not qualify as a second DUI under Georgia law. But if it does, the potential ramifications of a conviction increase dramatically, as noted above. The time frame is crucial, especially if you’re worried about severe consequences, but if more than a decade has passed between arrests, it could affect the outcome.

Reach Out Today To Find The Help You Need

If you can’t afford a guilty plea or an ineffective defense on a second or subsequent DUI charge, call a trial attorney who’s more interested in winning your case than negotiating the best possible deal. Call 706-621-5166 or email a DUI defense lawyer at Daniels & Rothman in Athens. You might be surprised to learn how strong your defense can be.