Boone County DUI Lawyer

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Being charged with drunk driving in Boone County, Kentucky, can be a frightening experience. However, your arrest is merely the start of your legal journey. And if you do not take action quickly, your DUI charge could soon become a conviction.

So, what steps can you take to protect your future after your drunk driving arrest? Well, you can start by hiring a skilled Boone County DUI lawyer, like those here at the law firm of Suhre & Associates, LLC.

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How Our Law Firm Can Assist You with Your Drunk Driving Charge

Our law firm is committed to providing the people of Boone County with outstanding legal services time after time. So, when you hire our Boone County criminal defense lawyers to defend you against your DUI charge, we will:

Investigate Your Case

Your DUI case is different than all the ones that came before it. So, before we can move forward with your defense, we must first learn a little more about it. We typically accomplish this goal by:

Asking you questions about your arrest
Reading the police report, and
Speaking to relevant witnesses.

This process generally takes a couple of days. However, once it has been carried out, we will have all the information we need to guide your legal defense. During the investigation, we may even uncover a policing mistake that we can use to get your charge dismissed.

Walk You Through Your Legal Options

When you are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Boone County, or elsewhere in Kentucky, there are several different tactics you can employ to try to get your criminal charge dismissed or reduced. The outcome of your case may depend on whether or not you choose to pursue the right one.

Of course, when you hire our law firm, you won’t need to select a legal strategy on your own. Our team of experienced DUI lawyers will be on-hand to walk you through your options and provide you with their opinion on the best route forward.

Represent You in District Court

From the moment we take your case, we will begin speaking with the prosecutor to see if they are open to making a deal that would reduce your charge. If they are unwilling to explore this option, we will be more than ready to take your case to district court.

Over the years, our attorneys have represented countless clients in state and federal courts throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky – achieving numerous favorable verdicts along the way. When you hire our law firm, you can be confident that you will be well represented at your trial.

Are you ready to fight back against your Kentucky DUI charge with the assistance of a skilled criminal defense lawyer from the law firm of Suhre & Associates? Then please give us a call and set up a free consultation at our law office in Cincinnati.

Understanding Kentucky’s DUI Laws

Like every other state in the Union, Kentucky has several strict laws on its books that make driving while under the influence of alcohol illegal.

Section 189A.010 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes explains that a person may not operate a motor vehicle anywhere in the Bluegrass State while:

Having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher
Having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02 percent or higher – if they are younger than 21 years of age
Under the influence of alcohol, or
Under the combined influence of alcohol and another substance that impairs their driving ability.

How Do Law Enforcement Officers in Boone County Test a Driver’s BAC?

When a police officer in Boone County, KY, pulls over a driver that they suspect to be intoxicated, they can use any of the following three tools to confirm their suspicions:

A breath test
A urine test
A blood test

Most officers choose to use the breath test to determine a suspect’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC). They select this option because they can use the breathalyzer machine on the side of the road and get an immediate result. Blood and urine tests, on the other hand, must be completed in an authorized lab.

Kentucky law requires all BAC tests to be performed within two hours of “cessation of operation or physical control of a motor vehicle.” The results of any tests taken after this two-hour window closes are almost always inadmissible in court.

Can Drivers Refuse to Take a Blood, Urine, or Breath Test in Boone County?

In Boone County, and everywhere else in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, drivers cannot legally refuse to submit to BAC testing when requested to do so by a law enforcement officer.

Kentucky has an implied consent law on its books. According to this statute, every time a driver travels on a public road or highway in the Bluegrass State, they automatically consent to chemical testing.

Drivers who refuse to submit to BAC testing in Boone County can have their license suspended for up to six months for a first offense.

The DUI defense attorneys here at Suhre & Associates, LLC, have been practicing law in Kentucky for many years. As a result, we are well-versed in all of the Commonwealth’s drunk driving regulations. If you would like to have us use our expertise to help you with your charge, all you have to do is give us a call or contact us online.

Consequences of DUI Convictions in Boone County, KY

The consequences of DUI convictions in the Commonwealth of Kentucky depend almost entirely on the number of times the offender has been found guilty of drunk driving in the past:

First Offense

The potential penalties for a driver’s first DUI conviction in a five-year period include:

A fine of between $200 and $500
A jail sentence of between 2 and 30 days
A driver’s license suspension of between 30 and 120 days
Mandatory admission to a 90-day alcohol abuse program
A community labor order of between 2 and 30 days

Second Offense

When a driver is found guilty of drunk driving for the second time in a five-year period, they can face the following penalties:

A fine of between $350 and $500
A jail sentence of between 7 days and 6 months
A driver’s license suspension of between 12 and 18 months
Mandatory admission to a one-year alcohol abuse program
A community labor order of between 10 days and 6 months

Third Offense

Boone County residents who are caught driving under the influence for the third time in a five-year period typically face the following punishments:

A fine of between $500 and $1,000
A jail sentence of between 30 days and 12 months
A driver’s license suspension of between 24 and 36 months
Mandatory admission to a one-year alcohol abuse program
A community labor order of between 10 days and 12 months

Fourth Offense

Being caught drunk driving four times in a five-year period is a Class D felony in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The penalties for such an offense include:

A prison sentence of at least 120 days without probation
Mandatory admission to a one-year alcohol abuse program
A driver’s license suspension of 60 months

Do you need an experienced DUI lawyer to help you battle to avoid the penalties associated with drunk driving? Then please do not hesitate to reach out to the criminal law experts here at Suhre & Associates, LLC. We are always ready, willing, and able to assist our friends and neighbors in Boone County.

How Aggravating Circumstances Can Impact Boone County DUI Penalties

In Boone County, KY, the minimum jail or prison term sentence for individuals who are caught driving under the influence is doubled when their offense occurs under “aggravating circumstances.”

A regular first-time DUI offender must spend at least two days in jail. An aggravated first-time offender, on the other hand, cannot leave jail for at least four days.

The circumstances that the Commonwealth of Kentucky classifies as “aggravating” include:

Driving a vehicle more than 30 miles per hour above the posted speed limit
Driving a vehicle the wrong way on a limited-access road
Causing an accident that results in death or serious physical injury
Driving a vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in excess of 0.15 percent
Refusing to submit to BAC testing, or
Transporting passengers who are younger than 12 years of age.

Is the Commonwealth of Kentucky accusing you of drunk driving under aggravating circumstances? Then you need a skilled criminal defense attorney on your side to fight back against their claims. Call the law firm of Suhre & Associates, LLC, today to talk to someone who can help.

A Boone County DUI Lawyer You Can Count On

When the people of Boone County need an attorney to defend them against their criminal charges, they know they can always rely on the law firm of Suhre & Associates, LLC. Our team’s combination of legal knowledge and industry experience allows us to handle even the most complex cases with ease. If you would like us to assist you with your DUI case, all you need to do is pick up the phone and give us a call.