Lancaster County Underage DUI Attorney

One of the most common offenses committed by young people in Lancaster County is an underage DUI. These days, it isn't difficult for people under the age of 21 to get their hands on alcoholic beverages. Underage drinkers have discovered all sorts of crafty ways to get alcohol, whether they get it themselves or have someone else get it for them. But what they may not realize at the moment is that merely being in close proximity of alcohol as an underage person can expose them to serious criminal charges. 

If you've been charged with an underage DUI, your first step should be to retain a skilled criminal defense attorney. You have a long life ahead of you. A criminal charge for underage drinking while driving can haunt you in the future and limit many opportunities in the workforce, school, and many more aspects of your adulthood.

A seasoned legal professional has the tools to provide a solid defense for you and either get your charges significantly reduced or dismissed altogether. In this article, we'll explore what constitutes an underage DUI in Pennsylvania and its penalties.

What Constitutes an Underage DUI in Pennsylvania?

Since the majority of DUI-related fatalities are caused by juvenile motorists, the state takes a zero-tolerance approach to underage drinking. This means that any trace of alcohol found in an underage driver's system will lead to criminal charges, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The legal limit for those over the age of 21 is .08% blood alcohol content (BAC).

Penalties

An underage DUI is generally a misdemeanor, but the legal penalties enforced hinge on a number of factors, including a person's BAC, if there was an alcohol test refusal, criminal history, and substance use. 

Even if this is your first criminal charge, a conviction for an underage DUI still warrants pretty stiff penalties. They include:

  • Jail time for up to 90 days
  • A fine ranging from $300-$500
  • License suspension (if the BAC is over .10%)

Obviously, subsequent DUIs have more severe penalties, like more jail time, higher fines, and longer license suspension duration periods. Refusing to take a blood, breath, or urine test will also lead to additional penalties.

Defenses

An indictment for underage DUI charges is determined by the prevalence of a number of factors. The LLF Law Firm has an adept knowledge of the elements of a case that must be proven to prosecute a defendant of an underage DUI, and therefore understands the potential defenses to assert to disprove these elements. A defense can be so convincing that it leads to a defendant's sentence being reduced or downgraded. A solid defense can even lead to the dismissal of your case altogether. The following defenses could possibly be asserted in your case if applicable:

The police didn't follow proper protocol. Officers must follow certain protocol when administering field sobriety tests (FSTs). If they don't, any evidence gathered due to a test must be suppressed or inadmissible. 

The police made an improper stop. The constitution prohibits law enforcement from arbitrarily pulling over citizens without reasonable suspicion. This means, in order to pull you over for a DUI, a police officer must've had good reason to suspect that you were doing something illegal. It may be possible for an attorney to prove that reasonable suspicion wasn't a factor in your stop and arrest.

You have a medical condition. Certain medical conditions give off the appearance of being drunk and can even skew the results of tests. For example, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a condition that causes chronic acid reflux. People with this disease experience serious digestion issues. Some have reported that their stomach contents flow all the way back up into their esophagus and even their mouth. If your stomach contents include remnants of alcohol you drunk yesterday, it can actually end up back in your mouth when it's time for testing.

Pennsylvania Criminal Defense Attorney

An underage DUI conviction will haunt you in adulthood. To avoid the legal and collateral consequences that come with an underage DUI on your record, you need the assistance of a seasoned criminal defense attorney. 

If you're looking for quality legal representation, the LLF Law Firm is the ideal firm for you.  Our Criminal Law Team at LLF Law Firm has the experience and credentials to defend and counsel people who've acquired assault charges. They will provide you with options in this predicament, like possibly joining an ARD program, and work towards getting your charges reduced or dropped. We keep flexible office hours and are willing to work around your schedule. To set up a consultation or for more information about LLF Law Firm representation, contact the LLF Law Firm either online or by phone at 888-535-3686.

Contact Us Today!

The LLF Law Firm Team has decades of experience successfully resolving clients' criminal charges in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania counties. If you are having any uncertainties about what the future may hold for you or a loved one, contact the LLF Law Firm today! Our Criminal Defense Team will go above and beyond the needs of any client, and will fight until the final bell rings.

This website was created only for general information purposes. It is not intended to be construed as legal advice for any situation. Only a direct consultation with a licensed Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York attorney can provide you with formal legal counsel based on the unique details surrounding your situation. The pages on this website may contain links and contact information for third party organizations - the Lento Law Firm does not necessarily endorse these organizations nor the materials contained on their website. In Pennsylvania, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout Pennsylvania's 67 counties, including, but not limited to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Schuylkill, and York County. In New Jersey, attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New Jersey's 21 counties: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren County, In New York, Attorney Joseph D. Lento represents clients throughout New York's 62 counties. Outside of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, unless attorney Joseph D. Lento is admitted pro hac vice if needed, his assistance may not constitute legal advice or the practice of law. The decision to hire an attorney in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania counties, New Jersey, New York, or nationwide should not be made solely on the strength of an advertisement. We invite you to contact the Lento Law Firm directly to inquire about our specific qualifications and experience. Communicating with the Lento Law Firm by email, phone, or fax does not create an attorney-client relationship. The Lento Law Firm will serve as your official legal counsel upon a formal agreement from both parties. Any information sent to the Lento Law Firm before an attorney-client relationship is made is done on a non-confidential basis.

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