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DUI

Effectively Fighting A DUI Arrest Through Legal Help From A Minnesota DUI Lawyer

A driving under the influence (DUI) conviction can result in jail time, heavy fines, hikes in insurance premiums or even cancelled insurance — not to mention job loss or difficulty finding new employment. Our skilled Minnesota DUI attorneys at Kelm & Reuter, P.A., increase the likelihood of beating or reducing the charges and seeking other alternatives to jail.

Minnesota DUI

When your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 or higher and you are in operation of a moving or parked vehicle, an officer can arrest you for DUI. Even with a lower BAC, you can be convicted of DUI if the officer can prove impaired driving.

Penalties For DUI Offenses

Potential penalties for DUI convictions vary depending on whether aggravating factors existed, such as BAC of .16 or higher, a child aged 16 or younger in the vehicle or the DUI was a repeated offense within the past 10 years. Any of these three factors increase the offense to a gross misdemeanor with potential penalties of a $3,000 fine and a maximum of one year in jail. When there are no aggravating factors, a first DUI offense is a misdemeanor with maximum jail time of 90 days and a maximum fine of $1,000.

A felony DUI occurs when the driver has all three aggravating factors and penalties are a maximum prison sentence of seven years and/or a $14,000 fine.

Minnesota DUI lawyers can argue for reduced jail time and alternatives to jail such as electronic home monitoring, community service or staggered sentencing. Minnesota statutes define staggered sentencing for a fourth offense as “180 days of incarceration, of which at least 30 days must be served consecutively in a local correctional facility” and staggered sentencing for a fifth offense or more as “one year of incarceration, at least 60 days of which must be served consecutively in a local correctional facility.”

Other Penalties

The court can order an ignition interlock device (IID) put on your car and can suspend your driver’s license for increasingly greater periods with repeated DUIs, eventually cancelling it indefinitely. Vehicle license plate impoundment and specially coded license plates are other possible penalties.

Put Skilled Minnesota DUI Lawyers On Your Side

A Minnesota DUI attorney well-versed in criminal law can devise effective defense strategies and help you fight DUI charges. To schedule a free consultation with Kelm & Reuter, P.A., call us at 320-247-4632 or contact us online.