Idaho laws on Driving Under the Influence (DUI) are stringent and particularly frightening for first-time offenders including the attached punishments. First-time offenders are usually at sea on what to do when slammed with DUI charges. This fright is further worsened with the fact that you may not know what punishment lies ahead.
This doesn’t mean it’s any more comfortable for a second or multiple-time offender. If you are among these categories of offenders, you may have more to worry about as your punishments are naturally more gruesome.
You should contact an experienced Boise DUI attorney immediately after being charged with DUI in Boise, Idaho. You should also have a head knowledge of all the possible punishments to expect if you have been found guilty of DUI.
Penalties and Punishments for First Offences
A good Boise DUI lawyer would counsel you and let you know the possible punishments expected on a first-time DUI offense. This is not to alarm you further. It helps to prepare you for the worst possible outcome. Find the penalties below:
- Alcohol Evaluation
As a first-time offender in Idaho, you may be required to undertake an alcohol evaluation and undergo counseling. This evaluation is usually done to find out your history with alcohol and drugs. Evaluations are geared towards rehabilitation. They may also serve as a guide for the judge in sentencing.
- License Suspension and Restriction
The court may suspend your driving license even as a first-time offender. The suspension would usually span 3 – 6 months. It could be more depending on the severity of the case.
- Ignition Interlock Device Penalty
First-time offenders may be asked to install an Ignition Interlock Device in their vehicles for one year. This usually comes at the expense of the offender. The Ignition Interlock device would measure your blood alcohol content and ensure that it meets lawful requirements before you’re allowed to start your car.
- Mandatory Community Service
First-time offenders may risk undergoing compulsory community service in place of a fine. This mandatory service is up to 50 hours or more.
- Jail Time
The most dreaded punishment is usually a jail term. Unfortunately, this punishment can be melted out on first-time offenders, mainly when injuries to life or damages to property occurred.
- Victims Panel
A first-time offender in Idaho may be forced to visit a Victim impact panel for at least a day. A victim’s impact panel is a meeting that comprises victims of drunk driving (DUI). In the forum, victims tell their stories and narrate the impact of drunk driving on them. Ex-convicts are also allowed in the meeting and can tell their stories too.
Penalties and Punishments for Second Offences
Even as a second-time offender, your Boise DUI attorneys still must let you in on what to expect. Naturally, the punishments for a second offense are more severe. Apart from the increased jail term, huge fines, higher license suspension period, and installation of the Ignition Interlock Device, a second-time offer could also face:
- Probation
You may be placed on a one or 2-year supervised probation. Probation is usually a favorable alternative to a jail term. During probation, you’re to adhere strictly to certain conditions and restrictions imposed by the court. Such limits could range from good behavior to participating in a program, working or schooling at a particular institution, confinement, not leaving a jurisdiction, and so many others. Failure to adhere strictly to probation rules would put an offender at the risk of a jail term.
- Restitution
As a second-time offender, you’d be required to make restitution for any injury or loss of property caused as a result of your DUI. Injuries and damages aren’t the only things that you’d be required to pay for. You may also pay for the costs of evaluation, test, or any other expense the court deems appropriate in the circumstances.
You Deserve the Best Representation Possible — Contact Trilogy Law Group Today!
A DUI charge isn’t a death sentence. As a first-time or multiple-time offender, the possibility of being slammed with a jail term or some other penalty may be terrifying. But as scary as it may seem, you may be able to wriggle your way out of punishment with good Boise DUI lawyers by your side.
You deserve the best quality representation your money can afford. That is why you should contact the Trilogy Law group immediately after you’re charged with DUI. We have the best Boise DUI attorneys in Idaho who are always ready to defend your cause zealously. The clock is ticking; call us today!