PENALTIES FOR MULTIPLE DUI CONVICTIONS WITHIN TEN YEARS
The penalties for a California DUI increase with every conviction you sustain within a ten-year period. A conviction occurs when you either (i) plead guilty, or (ii) are found guilty at trial. If your DUI lawyer gets your charges reduced or dismissed, or if you are found not guilty at trial, the charges will neither result in penalties nor increase the penalties for a conviction stemming from a subsequent DUI arrest.
Even if you were arrested for driving with alcohol in your system, there may still be a variety of defenses to your alleged DUI. As a result, and in light of the penalties at stake, you should never plead guilty without first consulting with an experienced Ventura DUI defense lawyer.
It is important to note that the following penalties are those that are likely to be imposed by a Ventura County court. You may also face up to a one-year driver’s license suspension by the California DMV regardless of the outcome of your court case. This “administrative” suspension can be avoided only by requesting a DMV hearing within ten days of your arrest.
PUNISHMENT FOR A SECOND DUI IN TEN YEARS
Punishment for a second DUI conviction within ten years will typically include the standard California DUI fines and fees plus the following:
- Three to five years of informal probation
- Thirty to ninety days in jail
- Extended Drinking Driver Program (typically eighteen months)
- Up to a two-year driver’s license suspension
- Mandatory ignition interlock
- Mandatory abstention
PUNISHMENT FOR A THIRD DUI IN TEN YEARS
If you are facing a third California DUI conviction with a ten-year period, the penalties become even more substantial. In addition to DUI fines and fees, the penalties for a third DUI conviction include:
- Five years of informal probation
- 120 to 180 days in jail
- Extended Drinking Driver Program (typically eighteen to thirty months)
- Up to a three-year driver’s license suspension
- Designation as a habitual traffic offender for three years
- Mandatory ignition interlock
- Mandatory abstention
PUNISHMENT FOR A FOURTH OR SUBSEQUENT DUI IN TEN YEARS
A fourth DUI conviction in any ten-year period will be charged as a felony. If you are facing a potential felony conviction, you need to hire an experienced DUI defense lawyer immediately. Click here to read more about Ventura felony DUI defense.
The punishment for a typical felony DUI charge based on multiple prior convictions includes:
- Sixteen months to three years in prison,
- Up to a four-year driver’s license suspension, and
- Designation as a habitual traffic offender for three years.
ENHANCED PENALTIES FOR DUIS INVOLVING INJURY OR DEATH
For all Ventura DUI convictions, the penalties increase if you caused an accident that resulted in a serious personal injury or wrongful death. Click here to read more.
CONTACT A LOCAL, EXPERIENCED VENTURA DUI LAWYER
To find out more about the penalties you may be facing for your Ventura DUI charge, contact us today.
