In Minnesota, a person can be arrested and charged with a DWI if their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is over .08% and they’re over 21 years old, or if it’s over 0% and they’re below 21 years old. They can also be charged with a DWI if they are under the influence of any drugs. If the person is convicted, they can face severe penalties based on the number of times they have been convicted of a DWI in the past ten years, and after the third time, the charge is going to be a felony charge.
Potential Penalties
The first time a person is convicted of a DWI, they can be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail, $1,000 in fines, and they may have their license suspended for up to 90 days. They’ll have to have an Interlock Ignition Device (IID) installed on their vehicle for no less than six months after they have their license back again. For a second offense within ten years, the person faces up to a year in jail, $3,000 in penalties, 180 days with a suspended license and an IID is required. The fourth offense within ten years is a felony charge and the person faces up to seven years in prison, $14,000 in fines and a revocation of their driver’s license for at least four years.
Hiring a Lawyer for Help
A person can provide defenses to have the charges dropped or lowered. Some cases may be changed to a wet reckless charge where they to admit to drinking but not to being over the legal limit, which is a much less serious charge and has less severe penalties. In other cases, the person may be able to have the charges dropped because of a lack of evidence or a mistake in the case. So to find out which of these might apply to their case, or if there is any other defense, a person will need to contact a DWI lawyer quickly.
Anyone who has been arrested and charged with a DWI will want to contact a DWI lawyer as soon as possible after their arrest, because the serious penalties can potentially be mitigated with numerous types of defenses, but only if the person reaches out for help. For more information, visit Blatzlawminnesota.com today.
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