Chester County DUI Attorney

If you are facing a Chester County DUI charge in the state of Pennsylvania, you need professional legal help. The consequences are severe and will affect your life for years to come. You deserve to have your rights and interests defended in court by a qualified and experienced Chester Pennsylvania DUI lawyer.

Even if you failed a breathalyzer test, you can challenge the results. It is possible that the machine was not calibrated properly before you were tested. Also, your own body’s unique chemistry can affect the results, and due to a phenomenon called “breath alcohol,” you can get a falsely high reading if you used mouthwash, vomited, or even burped before the test was administered.

And some courts will throw out breath results if the machine’s manufacturer will not reveal how the test works. The process of challenging breath results is complicated and requires an understanding of the science behind the machine, which is why you want to work with a Chester County drunk driving attorney who has the necessary knowledge and experience.

Hopefully you are able to prove that you were not over the legal limit while driving, but even dropping your charges from a High Blood Alcohol Content (0.10 to 0.159%) or Highest Blood Alcohol Content (0.16% and higher) to General Impairment (0.08% to 0.099%) can significantly reduce the penalties you face.

If you are being charged with a first offense Chester County DUI for general impairment, you will face up to 6 months of probation, a $300 fine, mandatory attendance at alcohol highway safety school, and alcohol and drug treatment. For a second offense, you will face a one year driver’s license suspension, 5 days to 6 months of jail time, a $300 to $2,500 fine, mandatory attendance at alcohol highway safety school, alcohol and drug treatment, and an ignition interlock system for one year. For a third or subsequent offense, you will be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor and face a driver’s license suspension for one year, 10 days to 2 years of jail time, a $500 to $5,000 fine, alcohol and drug treatment, and an ignition interlock system for one year.

If instead you are charged with High BAC Chester County Pennsylvania DUI, your first offense can result in a driver’s license suspension for one year, 48 hours to 6 months in jail, a fine of $500 to $5,000, mandatory attendance at alcohol highway safety school, and alcohol and drug treatment. For a second High BAC Chester DUI offense, you will have your driver’s license automatically suspended for one year, be sentenced to jail for 30 days to 6 months, be fined from $750 to $5,000, be required to attend alcohol highway safety school as well as alcohol and drug treatment, and be required to have an ignition interlock on your car for one year. For a third High BAC DUI offense in Chester, you will be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor. You will have your driver’s license suspended for 18 months, be put in jail for 90 days to 5 years, fined from $1,500 to $10,000, be ordered to alcohol and drug treatment, and be required to have an ignition interlock on your car for a year. For a fourth offense, you will face similar penalties, but will face one to five years in jail.

For the highest BAC DUI charge in Chester County, your driver’s license will be suspended for a year. You will be jailed for 72 hours to 6 months, be fined from $1,000 to $5,000, be required to attended alcohol highway safety school as well as alcohol and drug treatment if it is your first offense. For a second offense, you will be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor, and receive an automatic 18-month driver’s license suspension, 90 days to 5 years of jail time, fines between $1,500 and $10,000, an order to attend alcohol highway safety school as well as alcohol and drug treatment, and an ignition interlock requirement for one year. For a third or subsequent offense, you will face similar penalties, but you can be jailed for 1 to 5 years and be fined from $2,500 to $10,000.

As you can see the penalties vary greatly depending on the blood alcohol content the prosecution can prove in court, as well as how many past offenses you have. Contact a Chester DUI attorney today to find out what your options are and starting building a plan for your defense. With your freedom, your bank account, and your driver’s license on the line, you need to get help.