If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence here in the Pittston area, you need an expert Pittston DUI lawyer to defend you. Here at Mecadon Law, we understand that your future is riding on the outcome of this situation. We’ll examine every aspect of your case and prepare a defense that could produce a more positive resolution for you or even get your case thrown out.
Call 570-654-5030, or contact us online, as soon as you can for a no-cost consultation.
Pennsylvania law defines driving under the influence as driving or otherwise operating a vehicle after drinking enough alcohol to bring your blood alcohol content to at least 0.08%. Although the exact amount differs by person, weight, and other factors, you can generally expect to reach 0.08 blood alcohol content after about four or five alcoholic drinks.
Since 2003, Pennsylvania has viewed DUI offenses under the stipulations laid out in a law called Act 24. The law categorizes DUI crimes and penalties according to an extensive series of factors. With each aggravating factor comes a harsher penalty.
For example, a first-time DUI conviction when your BAC is between 0.08 and 0.099 is an ungraded misdemeanor. It could garner you up to six months of probation plus a $300 fine and requirement to attend alcohol highway safety school.
A conviction for driving under the influence with the same BAC but with one prior DUI carries a 12-month license suspension, five days to six months in jail, a fine of $300 to $2,500, safety school, and an ignition interlock for one year. An ignition interlock requires you to take a breathalyzer test for alcohol before your vehicle will start.
The state reserves more severe penalties for DUI convictions where the individual was using a controlled substance or had a BAC above 0.16%. In a situation like that, especially if the individual has multiple past DUI convictions, the penalty can include an 18-month license suspension, one to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, alcohol treatment, and a one-year ignition interlock.
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI, you give yourself the best chance of getting a lesser sentence when you call a DUI attorney in Pittston. Get in touch with Mecadon Law as soon as you can following your arrest, and we can begin working on your behalf.
You should call a DUI lawyer immediately after your arrest for a DUI in the Pittston area. The reason is that we know how to look at DUI arrests for anything that could be unlawful and jeopardize the state’s case against you.
For example, the traffic stop itself may have been unlawful if the arresting officer had no probable cause for suspecting you of driving under the influence. If the officer based the initial stop on nothing more than the time of night or the driver’s race, we could find reason to get your charges thrown out.
This is why it’s always wise to retain a DUI lawyer as soon as you can following a DUI arrest. Mecadon Law has been defending Pittston area residents from DUI charges for decades. Call us at 570-654-5030 as soon as possible so we can begin mounting your defense.
DUI arrests can be scary and stressful, and they could affect your life even years from now. Retaining a DUI lawyer is the best move you can make to protect your rights.
Call Mecadon Law today, or contact us online, to get started.