The holiday season is around the corner. This means more celebration, partying, and drinking. When drinking comes into the picture, the police officers and sheriff’s duties during the holiday season become tougher. They have to work overtime to make sure no drunk drivers cause endanger the lives of other people. Drunk drinking is at an all-time high this time of year.
Every year in Greenville and throughout South Carolina, police officers arrest drunk drivers in large numbers. They pull over drivers aggressively. So what happens if you are arrested for DUI during the holiday season?
It doesn’t matter if it’s your first-time offense or a repeated offense, you could face serious consequences including fines and suspension of your driving license. This could happen even if you didn’t cause an accident.
If you are arrested, you should contact a Greenville DUI defense lawyer right away.
Penalties for a DUI in South Carolina
A DUI arrest in South Carolina during a holiday season can ruin the festivities in no time. No matter if it’s a holiday season, drunk driving would not be tolerated on any occasion. In South Carolina, an arrest would mean facing severe fines and penalties.
South Carolina has a penalty system in place for DUI convictions. Even the first offense will mean a jail time of at least 48 hours to 30 days. The last thing anyone would want during the holiday season. You may also be fined up to $400 – $1000 plus driving license suspension for up to 90 days. On top of this, you may also have to complete 24-hour community service.
This was all for a low-level offense i.e. a first offense. If the severity of your offense increases, you may have to spend your next holiday season in jail as well. A second offense means a compulsory jail time of 30 days to three years.
The offense level is determined based on the alcohol content in your blood and the severity of the accident.
The 4th or subsequent offense can land you in jail for up to seven years.
Suspension of a driving license is in itself is a worry. Getting it reinstated is a difficult task. You will have to revisit the DMV office. The whole process itself takes more than a month to get your driving license back.
You may also have to get an IID, i.e., an Ignition Interlock Device on your vehicle. This lock doesn’t allow you to start your car until you blow over the device. If your breath doesn’t have an alcohol content, it will unlock the vehicle. Installing such a device again costs you another $100 or so.
What to Do After a DUI Arrest During the Holiday Season?
Not drinking and driving is the best possible way to avoid unnecessary problems this holiday season. Call a cab if you are not sober.
Still, if you get arrested in South Carolina for drunk driving during this holiday season, you can at least get your charges reduced with the help of a plea. For this, you need to consult an experienced DUI attorney to handle your case. Such an attorney will weigh the options and suggest the best possible outcome. Your lawyer may help you reduce the charges and get the driving license back sooner. The attorney may also work on replacing your fines with more community service hours.
There are multiple other reasons you should contact a DUI attorney in South Carolina immediately upon your arrest. They will indeed work upon eliminating your troubles to an extent.
So, if you or someone you know is arrested for DUI in Greenville, contact us today. Our expert DUI attorneys will help you keep alive the spirit of this holiday season.