3rd DUI in Arizona & Aggravated DUI
Every state and their DMV take it very seriously that they have to protect all drivers who are on the roads. For this reason, there are severe consequences for receiving DUIs. The law that dictates the consequences of Aggravated DUI is A.R.S. 28-1383. This type of DUI is a felony.
You can be found guilty of aggravated driving if you are caught driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and you’ve had two previous DUIs within a 7-year period. Note that the consequences become more severe if the amount of time between your DUIs has been very short or gets increasingly shorter.
The Consequences
Just like with your previous DUIs, the consequences will be more severe this time. The consequences for a third DUI include:
- Between 4 months and 2 years of jail time
- Fines starting at $750 but can be thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars
- Driver’s license suspension of 3 years
- Once their license is reinstated, they will be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in their car
- Show proof of Arizona SR22 Insurance
- 30 days of community service
- Required participation in an alcohol education program
Aggravated DUI
A DUI with aggravating factors, such as having a blood alcohol content (BAC) level two or more times the legal limit, then this is often commonly thought of as an extreme DUI. You can be arrested for an Aggravated DUI if you’ve been caught driving under the influence while:
- Your license has been revoked, suspended, canceled, refused or while a restriction is placed on your license or privilege to drive due to a previous violation.
- You were speeding excessively.
- There was a minor under the age of 15 while with you in the car.
- Driving while intoxicated through a school zone
- Causing death or severe injury to another as a result of driving while intoxicated
Why You Need An Attorney
These DUIs come with serious criminal charges. You will be obligated to attend not only hearings at the DMV but also court hearings. You could be facing the maximum amount of fines and jail time if you don’t have a great attorney. If there is any evidence of your innocence, then your lawyer will be able to present that to a judge or possibly a jury. They will also have access to expert witnesses who can testify with crash analysis and other evidence to prove your innocence. An example is a medical specialist who can argue that the blood alcohol field tests were not administered correctly.
Multiple DUIs are usually indicative of some underlying problem. Your attorney can also argue for you to get the help you need so you can be safer on the road to yourself, your passengers, and other drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists.