Richmond Under-18 DUI Charges
If someone is under the age of 18, they will still be charged with a DUI. It is what is referred to as an underage DUI where a blood alcohol level of 0.02 or higher can result in a conviction. Blood alcohol content is the amount of alcohol that’s registered through either a breath alcohol test or a blood alcohol test. Someone facing such a charge should contact a Richmond attorney as soon as possible to discuss how to mitigate damage.
What to Expect for a Richmond Under-18 DUI
If you’re under the age of 18 and charged with underage DUI in the state of Virginia, your case is handled in the juvenile Domestic Relation Court. It will be with the initial petition. What makes it different is with an underage DUI, your parents are required to appear and attend. The one positive factor is that the juvenile domestic relation court judges have much more discretion in how they impose penalties and what sort of penalties they impose. Juvenile judges also have more discretion in exploring alternative sentences.
Prosecution in Richmond
The judge and prosecutors treat underage DUI cases in Richmond very harshly. They want to send a message to the individual that the conduct will not be tolerated. If it is an aggravated case, they can and will routinely impose an active jail or detention sentence.
What Parents Should Expect
Parents or guardians need to understand the long-term impact that the conviction can have. It can result in a possible detention sentence or jail sentence. It can impact the ability of the individual to get into college and it can also impact their student loan application process. Furthermore, there’s a long-term impact on the driver’s license as well as their insurance.
Important Facts for Students to Remember
Typically, a Richmond underage DUI attorney will want to find out about the incident and driving that led to the stop. It helps the defense to find out how much alcohol was involved, was there any other minors in the vehicle, and to assess if there is any sort of long term alcohol problem that can be addressed through counseling. One of the major things that a juvenile court is looking for with underage DUI cases is that the individual charged receives education and counseling about the dangers of alcohol abuse.
Value of a Richmond Underage DUI Attorney
It’s really important to hire a Richmond attorney when charged with underage DUI. You want to be educated on the process and the procedures with an underage DUI case, especially if it’s involving the juvenile court. In addition, you want to understand exactly what sort of penalties you might be facing. Underage DUI cases come with very harsh penalties and can have a very long-term impact on an individual. The benefit of having an attorney involved in a case like this is that the attorney has the ability to negotiate with the prosecutors and can recommend mitigating steps that you could take to try and address the issue to avoid a harsher penalty.
