Pittsburgh DUI Lawyer
Drunk Driving Defense Attorney
Arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Controlled Substance? DUI, or as the crime is also known, Driving After Imbibing or DAI, is a serious matter that must be handled by a practitioner experienced in this area of the law. Attorney Paletta has defended many hundreds of clients charged with D.U.I., and has the experience to identify all options, from ARD (Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition) to suppression issues to trial defenses, in order to decide the best option for the client's individual need.
If you are stopped for drunk driving and you refuse to take the sobriety test, or if your test results exceed the legal limit of Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC), you will be immediately subject to the Administrative License Suspension, which means the officer can take your driver's license on the spot.
Penalties for Driving Under the Influence
For the first offense, your license to drive is revoked, and if convicted, you are subject to jail time, heavy fines, and a court license suspension of six months to three years. With each subsequent offense, Pennsylvania's penalties for driving under the influence become stiffer. Even if you were not involved in an accident, you could spend up to a year in jail, lose your car, have your license permanently revoked, and be subject to fines up to $10,000.
If you refuse field sobriety testing, your license is automatically suspended temporarily. If you have already been convicted of DUI on multiple occasions, your refusal may cost a five-year license suspension.
Depending on previous offenses or refusals, you can have your license automatically suspended for a period of 90 days to five years. The administrative suspension is independent of any jail term, fine, or other criminal penalty imposed in court for a DUI offense.
If you are facing DUI or DAI charges, Pittsburgh drunk driving attorney Joseph A. Paletta, Esq. can help. You need to have an experienced DUI attorney on your side as soon as possible to discuss the facts and options before your first hearing date, typically the Preliminary Hearing. Contact our offices at 866-463-2257 or fill out our quick contact web form.
