What Would Worsen The Consequences Of A DUI?
There are always consequences when someone gets a DUI or DWI conviction, but the consequences can greatly vary. In fact, a first DUI charge may have few consequences, while a second or third one may have a lot of consequences. If you are facing DUI charges and are wondering what would impact or worsen the consequences you receive from these charges, here are some of the circumstances that you should know about that could worsen your charges.
Repeat charges
One of the main factors that will worsen the consequences of a DUI is when your current DUI charge is not your first one. If you have had other DUIs in the past, it will worsen the consequences of your current charge. If you have dozens of other criminal charges from the past on your rap sheet, this too can cause the consequences to be worse. The consequences will be much less severe if this is your first DUI and your first criminal charge of any kind.
The level of your BAC
The second thing that can affect the consequences is the level of your blood-alcohol content (BAC). The legal limit for BAC is 0.08. If yours is way above this, it means that you were intoxicated even worse than what the law allows, and this means that you posed more dangers and risks for other drivers on the roads. If you would not take a breathalyzer test, this too can reflect poorly on your case, as it can make people think that you are admitting guilt.
Endangerment charges
If you had a passenger in the car when you were arrested, you could end up with a second charge that is called an endangerment charge. If the person was under 18, the consequences will be even were, as this would be considered child endangerment, which is a crime that the court takes very seriously.
No license or insurance
The other thing to understand is that if you were caught during the DUI arrest driving without a valid driver's license or auto insurance, it will also lead to more consequences. You cannot legally drive without these things without facing consequences, and courts will give you harsher punishments because of this.
Factors that worsen the consequences of a DWI charge are often called enhancements in the criminal law field. If you have questions about this, talk to a DWI lawyer who handles these kinds of cases.