When Repeated Circumstances Bring a Second Connecticut DUI Charge

 Posted on December 11,2017 in Driving Under the Influence

Wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages are present at many holiday gatherings. While some beverages are consumed moderately and merrily, others are consumed for a different reason: stress. Visiting with family and friends can be difficult, especially in the current fraught national political climate, with old grievances and grudges lurking at the corners of contentious conversations.

In the moment, whether in bidding a fond farewell or a good riddance goodbye after consuming multiple alcoholic beverages, one may make the mistake of getting behind the wheel to drive a vehicle. When this mistake turns into a Connecticut DUI or DWI arrest, the holiday is officially over. And when this mistake is, in fact, a second, third, or subsequent DUI or DWI arrest in Connecticut, interpersonal squabbles will quickly seem minuscule in comparison to the state-imposed penalties upon a criminal conviction.

If you have been arrested for a DUI or DWI in Connecticut, you need an experienced Fairfield County DUI and DWI defense attorney – especially if you have already been convicted for drunk driving in the past ten years.

Multiple DUI Convictions Lead to Multiplied Penalties in Connecticut

It is imperative that you mount the strongest possible legal defense if you are facing fresh DUI charges in Connecticut and have already been convicted for drunk driving at least once in the past ten years. Connecticut punishes repeated offenders with increased severity, including extended jail time, expensive fines, costly mandatory ignition interlock device installation, and long-term drivers license suspension. In addition, there is the damage done to your reputation.

In terms of specifics, a second DUI conviction within ten years of a first conviction will result in a fine between $1,000 and $4,000, a jail sentence of at least 120 days, at least 100 hours of community service, and a three-year drivers license suspension. For a third conviction, more jail time, more fines, another 100 hours of community service, and the permanent loss of drivers license.

Defending Against a Repeat DUI or DWI Charge in Connecticut

With so much on the line – your money, your reputation, your ability to get to and from work on your own, and your very freedom as an individual in the United States – it is absolutely critical that you mount the strongest possible legal defense of the charges brought by the state of Connecticut against you. If you have been charged with a repeat DUI or DWI in Connecticut, contact an experienced Norwalk DUI defense attorney.

Source:

https://www.cga.ct.gov/2011/rpt/2011-R-0319.htm