Morgantown Underage Drinking Lawyer

Morgantown Underage Drinking Attorney

Young adults face all sorts of temptations. Before they even realize it, they could be caught up in a situation that haunts them for the rest of their life. If your adolescent was caught drinking alcohol underage and driving, your mind might be flooded with worries for their safety and their future. To ease your mind in this stressful situation, you should reach out to a Morgantown underage DUI lawyer.

At Meadows Law Office, I understand how complicated it can be to face an underage DUI charge. For both the driver and the driver’s loved ones, this can be a stressful time like no other. Let me take some of that stress away from you and help you maneuver through the tangled legal aftermath of a DUI charge. I am armed with resources and legal experience that can make this time much easier.

What Is an Underage DUI?

The term DUI stands for driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs. You might also hear this called a DWI, which means driving while intoxicated. Regardless of the acronym, Morgantown takes these offenses seriously.

If you are charged with a DUI, you need to contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible to protect yourself. In the event that your teenager or you yourself were charged with an underage DUI, you can expect harsher punishments awaiting you, so you need to act swiftly.

What Is the Penalty for an Underage DUI in Morgantown?

The penalties you can expect to face for an underage DUI in Morgantown will vary based on your criminal history, how intoxicated you were, and more. For example, your consequences might include:

• A license suspension of 60 days
• Fines
• Jail time
• Getting a mandatory ignition interlock device on your vehicle
• An increase in the price of your monthly insurance premium
• Termination of your insurance policy

You should bear in mind that while the minimum blood alcohol content (BAC) for an adult driver to be charged with a DUI is 0.08%, the minimum threshold for a person who is under the age of 21 is 0.02%. If your BAC is between 0.02% and 0.079%, then you will not have to worry about spending time in jail. On the other hand, if you are under 21 and you blow 0.08% on your breathalyzer test, then you might be looking at jail time.

Is a DUI a Felony in WV?

Whether or not you are charged with a felony after driving while intoxicated will depend on the factors involved in your specific case. For example, the following situations have different levels of severity in the eyes of the Morgantown court.

• First Underage DUI: If you are under 21 years old and you are charged with a DUI for the first time, you can expect to face misdemeanor charges. These include losing your driver’s license for 60 days and having to pay a fine somewhere between $100 and $500.
• Second or Subsequent Underage DUI: If you are an underage driver, have been convicted of a DUI in the last ten years, and are convicted of another one while under the age of 21, then you can expect to face a license suspension for one year or until you are 21, whichever circumstance is longer.
• Underage DUI Resulting in Wrongful Death: If you are driving under the influence and your actions result in the death of another person, then you can expect a more severe punishment and maybe a felony charge.

How Can a DUI Defense Lawyer Help?

If you have been charged with a DUI, you need to get in touch with a legal professional with substantial experience standing up for people who have been charged with crimes. Violations of the law, like drinking under the influence, are taken incredibly seriously in West Virginia, but the right defense attorney can help mitigate the damages to your life.

Your lawyer can help review the circumstances you are facing and the potential punishments on the table. For instance, there are some situations in which it would be in your interest to plead guilty and other circumstances in which it would be in your interest to plead not guilty. Your lawyer will critically review all of the factors in your case and determine which path you should proceed down.

Your lawyer can then engage in a series of negotiations. In the event that you plead guilty, your lawyer will do everything in their power to help you get a light sentence. They can collect and use strong evidence to highlight your character. On the other hand, if you plead not guilty, then your lawyer will collect evidence that helps show the court that you did no wrong. For instance, if prescription medication interfered with the breathalyzer test, your DUI charge might not be fair.

Your lawyer will also be able to appeal the outcome of your sentence if there were mistakes in the process. Also, no matter what twists and turns your case takes, your attorney will be there to provide you with support and keep you informed every step of the way. The advice of an experienced lawyer can be priceless when facing such a critical charge as an underage DUI.

Contact a Dedicated Morgantown Underage DUI Lawyer Today

It is normal for young people to get caught up in a situation that gets out of control. Whether it is theft, assault, drinking while intoxicated, or something else, it can be scary to consider the implications for their future.

If you or a loved one was charged with an underage DUI, it is completely normal to be concerned. At Meadows Law Office, I know how scary this time can be, and I want to help you navigate this tense situation. I can carefully and respectfully consider the facts of your case and identify the right way forward. Time is of the essence after a DUI charge, so reach out to me today to get started.