Minimum fine: | $390 |
---|---|
DMV driver's license fee: | $125 |
Car insurance increase (over 10 years): | $10,154 |
Bail bond cost (up to): | $2,500 |
Total cost: | $15,649 |
DUI Offense | Minimum Jail Time | Maximum Jail Sentence |
---|---|---|
1st DUI | 48 hours | 6 months |
2nd DUI (within 10 years) | 10 days | Up to 1 year |
3rd DUI (within 10 years) | 120 days | Up to 1 year |
4th (or more) DUI (within 10 years) | 180 days | Up to 3 years |
Your attorney fees will depend if you accept a plea or take your case to trial. DUI lawyers charge $700 to $1,500 when accepting a plea, and $1,500 to $4,000 when going to trial.
The first option is hourly, which typically costs an average of $300 per hour. Depending on the lawyer and location, you may pay $200 to $500 per hour. The key advantage here is that if your case is resolved quickly, you will not overpay. You will only be billed the short time period in which the DUI attorney worked on your case.
For example, in Florida, a standard first-offense DUI carries an average fine between $500 and $1,000. However, if your blood alcohol concentration is above .15% or a passenger under the age of 18 was present in the vehicle, you will face a fine closer to $2,000.
In comparison, a flat rate is a fee that covers the entire course of your case. Depending on your circumstances, expect to pay around $3,000 in flat rate attorney fees with most offering a payment plan.
Once you are eligible to reinstate your license, this fee depends on your state. For example, in California, this fee is $125, and in Washington, this fee is $150.
Those who are represented by a public defender tend to spend an average of $5,500 on their case, including between $700 and $800 on DUI lawyer fees. However, the cost of a public defender significantly ranges depending on numerous factors, including the state in which you reside. For example, in California, defendants are required to pay an upfront registration fee of $50.
If you are currently facing a "standard" first offense, you will likely be offered a first-offense plea offer. Typically, this is provided when there are no prior convictions and no aggravating variables involved in your case, such as a significantly high blood alcohol concentration, injuries, or accidents.
For a second DWI offense, a person 21 years old or older can face such DWI penalties as:
Driver’s license suspension for up to 2 years.
Legally speaking, a minor in Texas is anyone under the age of 18. But the legal age for drinking alcohol in Texas is 21. So DWI laws for underage drinking and driving also apply to those who may not be legal minors but are under the age of 21.
Suspension of their driver’s license for up to 2 years.
A required alcohol education program lasting at least 12 hours.
As you can see, the various penalties and costs for DWI, when added up, mean that total DWI costs can be extremely high, even for a first-time conviction.
First, you should know that any drunk driving offense is considered a crime in Texas. As a crime, the costs of such a charge can be steep. But some crimes are worse than others.
Insurance: A DUI makes you a high-risk driver and will result in higher insurance premiums for three to five years, as well as risk of policy cancellation. You will get rate hikes that average $830 more per year for car insurance than if you had a clean record. That means an extra cost to you cost of over $4,000 over a five-year period.
If your attorney can get your first-time DUI charges reduced or dropped, you can save as much as $4,000 on car insurance alone.
In addition to costs, if you are convicted of a DUI in Kentucky, you may face jail time and wind up with a criminal record that will follow you for the rest of your life. Fortunately, the Lexington DUI attorneys at Dan Carman, are available to fight for your rights and your freedom. We know Kentucky prosecutors, courts and the system. We can negotiate to get you the best deal possible and take your case to trial if necessary.
In some circumstances, you may be able to use the services of a public defender, paid by the state. Unfortunately, public defenders have heavy case loads and are overworked and underfunded. This means they rarely are able to put in the time and effort necessary to investigate and litigate a DUI, especially if you go to trial.
While you are in jail, you may lose your entire salary, or lose your job completely. Our attorneys maybe able to get jail time replaced with an equivalent amount of community service.
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