Never take a DUI lightly in Oklahoma. A DUI arrest has immediate consequences for the driver and often for the driver’s family. DUIs are treated severely in Oklahoma. If you or a loved one have been arrested on a DUI, you will need the help of a Tahlequah DUI lawyer to help mitigate the adverse effects that a DUI can bring.
Mandatory Alcohol Testing
Oklahoma is a modified consent state. When you drive on Oklahoma roads, you consent to being pulled over for an alcohol test at any time. Your failure to pass that test or your refusal to take that test results in an immediate suspension of your driving privileges.
DUI Adverse Effects
A DUI in Tahlequah, Oklahoma is serious. If you refuse to take an alcohol test or fail that test, the state immediately suspends your license. You will not be able to drive home or drive to work. You will not be able to drive anywhere.
The arrest begins a clock ticking on the restoration of any driving privileges for the period of the suspension. After arrest, you have 15 days in which to mitigate some of that damage.
With the help of an experienced DUI lawyer, you may be able to restore limited driver’s privileges such as driving to and from work or using an interlock ignition device in your vehicle. The device will not allow you to drive if you are have ingested any alcohol. This is called a modified suspension.
Fifteen days is not a lot of time. It is imperative that you act immediately. After 15 days, you may no longer be eligible to appeal the suspension and could lose your license for six months, a year, three years, or more.
Explore Defenses With A DUI Lawyer
An experienced Tahlequah DUI lawyer can make a difference in your case. Defenses are key to getting charges reduced or dismissed, or in working out a deal with prosecutors.
Breath alcohol tests are not always properly administered or documented. A police stop without probable cause may result in the charges being dismissed. These are examples of common defenses that you should explore with your DUI lawyer.
An experienced DUI lawyer knows how to find and exploit the weaknesses in the prosecution’s case. This can improve your DUI lawyer’s chance of working out a plea agreement or getting charges dropped.
Alternatively, with more and more courts looking at diversion as a way of dealing with DUI arrests, your willingness to participate in an alcohol treatment program may make a significant difference in the way prosecutors view your case.
A DUI Arrest In Oklahoma Can Have Serious Consequences
Oklahoma law dictates that a first-time DUI conviction can result in jail time of up to one year.
If a child under the age of 18 was in the car at the time, a DUI can result in up to four years of jail time.
Subsequent arrests result in increased jail time, up to five years on a second arrest.
A subsequent arrest for a DUI within 10 years of the first one is a felony. A felony conviction can interfere with your ability to get and keep a job, find a place to live, and vote.
In addition, fines are steep.
This is not a time to try to go it on your own. The results could mean significant jail time.
If you have been arrested on a DUI, it is imperative that you hire an experienced Tahlequah DUI lawyer immediately. Small facts in your case can make a big difference in the outcome.
Working with your attorney, you will find a strategy that works for you. Sometimes, that strategy involves negotiation and a plea deal. Other times, that strategy involves fighting in court.
Low-cost Initial Consultation: Tahlequah DUI Lawyer
For a low-cost consultation with a Tahlequah attorney, call Wirth Law Office – Tahlequah at 918-458-2677 or toll free at 1-888-447-7262.
Or, if you prefer e-mail, you may enter a legal question in the form at the top right of this page and we’ll contact you by e-mail as soon as possible.
