Ocean County Third Offense DUI Lawyers
Most of New Jersey is not well-served by public transportation and it is well-known that an automobile, driver’s license, and car insurance are required to travel from place to place. Unless you are in or near a metropolis, it is next to impossible to financially survive without a driver’s license in this state. Being convicted of a DUI can have a major financial impact on your life and cause financial stressors that lead to personal hardships and instability in relationships. If you have been charged with a third DUI you are at risk of not only losing your license but going to jail as well. The impact of a third DUI can be life-altering which is why you need an experienced attorney to review your case.
The experienced legal team at Bronzino Law Firm have the tools and legal knowledge to protect you, and we understand that this is a difficult time in your life. Do not hesitate to reach out at one of our offices, in Brick or Sea Girt, today at (732) 812-3102 or visit us online to fill a form for a free and confidential consultation regarding your charges.
Multiple Offense DUI/DWI Charges Monmouth County
A DUI is a motor vehicle violation which, more often than not, has to do with the amount of alcohol in your blood while driving (or drugs). Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, you can be convicted of a DUI if the state proves that you operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more. Everyone’s tolerance is different and a few drinks may put one person over the limit while another person may need many drinks to be legally drunk. One thing that does not change in a DUI case is that if you have two prior convictions within a ten year period, and you are caught driving drunk, you will be charged with a third DUI. The previous DUI’s are not restricted to New Jersey convictions and if found to have occurred in another state will count here when the state considers what to charge you with.
Out of State Convictions Impact on Driving While Intoxicated Charges
It is not a defense that the other offenses for Driving While Intoxicated occurred in another state or states. As long as the laws in the other state are the same, or similar to New Jersey, you will be charged. For example, if you were convicted in another state and, that state’s law is that you cannot drive if your blood alcohol content is .06 or higher, and you had .06 in your system, you will not be charged in New Jersey. Our state does not recognize a blood alcohol content of less that .08 as being over the legal limit (except for those below the legal drinking age). Therefore, in that scenario, the out of state conviction would not count as a prior DUI in New Jersey and may not subject you to a third offense. In order to prove that what you plead to was not a similar DUI in New Jersey, we would have to obtain the records of the out of state convictions and review the facts of the case. Sometimes, the records may show that you did not have an attorney and you were not otherwise aware of the potential consequences. In that situation, there is a potential for that plea to be removed or not counted against you towards your third DUI. However, if the two previous DUIs can be proven and you are convicted of a third offense, you will suffer serious consequences.
Conviction for a third DUI in Brick or Sea Girt NJ
The consequences of a third DUI are severe, as they not only require a ten year loss of your driving privileges in this state, but a conviction also requires you to spend one hundred and eighty (180) days in the county jail. These are drastic consequences for a person that has job, needs to support his or her family, and who will be without sufficient transportation for ten years. There is really only one minor exception that may lessen the time in jail which is that the court may permit you to do 90 days of that sentence in an in-patient rehab and do the other 90 days in jail.
One of the main problems for many people is that doing 90 days in rehab does not assist in avoiding the financial crises that ensues after the sentence because no work is permitted while in jail or rehab. Rehabilitation centers cost money and most people that are about to lose their license for ten years need to save money for their families and so this option is not often a viable one. As if being in jail and not working were not enough of a financial hardship, New Jersey requires the following fines and penalties: $1,000.00 fine, install an interlock ignition device at a cost to you, $230 Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC) Fee, $100 to a Drunk Driving Fund, $100 to Alcohol Education and Rehab Fund (AERF), $1,000 per year surcharge for 3 years, and a $75 Neighborhood Services Fund fee and court costs.
Contact A Brick NJ DUI/DWI Lawyer If You Have Been Convicted In The Past
Based on the above can see that a DUI can be troublesome enough without having to worry about the legal arguments and court process. Let the experienced attorneys of Bronzino Law Firm take on your legal stress by making an appointment for a consultation now. We provide our clients with the professional advice and tools they will need to navigate the difficult and complicated process.
Please contact us online or call one of our offices, in Brick or Sea Girt, today at (732) 812-3102 or visit us online to fill a form for a free and confidential consultation regarding your charges.