In the State of Oregon, you will find that driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol will result in some severe restrictions on your life. If you are pulled over and have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or above, you will be facing DUI charges. A commercial driver will be convicted if their BAC is .04 and a driver under the age of 21 will be measured at the lower limit of .02. If you are convicted of driving under the influence in Oregon, be ready for license suspension, possible jail time, and high fines and fees that you will be held responsible for.
First Offense DUI
When you are convicted of your first DUI, you will be looking at a license suspension of 1 year and in addition to this, you will have to install the ignition interlock device for a period of 1 year. Minimum jail time will be 48 hours and this time can increase to up to 1 year, or you can serve this sentence by putting in 80 hours of community service. Fines will be a minimum of $1000 and if your BAC is .15 or above, you will be facing a minimum $2000 fine. If you were pulled over for DUI and had a child under the age of 18 in the car and they were at least 3 years younger than the driver, your fines can be up to $10,000. In addition to all of the above, you will have to complete a drug/alcohol treatment program and participate in a victim-impact panel program as well.
Second Offense DUI
License suspension of 3 years will be in your future if you are conviction of a second DUI within five years of the first and you will have an ignition interlock device installed for at least two years. Jail time of up to one year will be mandated, as well as completion of a drug/alcohol treatment program and participation in a victim-impact panel. Fines will be at a minimum of $1500 and if your BAC was .15 or above, you are looking at a minimum $2000 fine. The fines can go up to $10,000 if there was a child under 18 in the car at the time of arrest. Your financial responsibility will be increased significantly with the additional court fees and other costs that can be assessed, including an ignition interlock device installation and more.
Third Offense DUI
A third DUI offense will be a felony charge if the other offenses were within the last ten years. You will most likely lose your license permanently with no chance of reinstatement. You will have to serve up to five years in jail and will be mandated to complete drug/alcohol treatment and participate in a victim-impact panel program. As far as fines, you will be responsible for anywhere from $2000 to $10,000 in fines, depending up the aggravating factors of your arrest and this amount will not include other costs that will be levied against you. You will also be responsible for treatment, your court costs, and your lawyer fees
If you choose to get in your car when you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you will most certainly be facing some strict penalties and punishments. By getting a lawyer, you will be able to get the guidance and advice that you need to go through the legal process. While you will not be able to get out of the charges entirely, you will be able to get the lesser sentence that will help you to get your life back much quicker.