Driving under the influence is a serious charge in Georgia regardless of a person’s age. When it is a teen who is facing a DUI charge, it can have a major impact on his or her life in the present and future. While it is understandable that teens will make mistakes, law enforcement and prosecutors do not treat a DUI lightly. The penalties that accompany a conviction can be severe and life-changing. The parents and the teen must think about how to approach the situation with assistance from an experienced DUI lawyer.
A 17-year-old male was arrested after he was found passed out in his vehicle. Law enforcement was contacted about a vehicle sitting in the middle of the road. When they arrived, they found a Ford F-150 with the driver sleeping while behind the wheel. He was leaning over onto the passenger side. The vehicle was in drive. The deputy attempted to wake him. After trying several times, the teen eventually woke up. He had bloodshot eyes and was slurring his words. He asserted the vehicle was not sitting in the middle of the road. He was given field sobriety tests and performed poorly. When he was tested to determine his blood alcohol concentration, it registered 0.84. He was charged with underage drinking, DUI and other charges.
Teens might not understand the gravity of the situation when they are arrested and charged with DUI. Since they are not allowed to drink at all, that is a violation by itself. If they choose to get behind the wheel and are caught under the influence, it can have a significant impact on their lives. They can lose their driving privileges, face jail time and fines. Although a DUI is serious, it does not mean that an underage person and his or her parents should simply accept the charges and move forward. It is vital to have a legal defense. Since being convicted can harm their chances at getting various jobs and being admitted to schools, reducing the charges or seeking an acquittal is imperative.
There are many avenues to defend against DUI charges. If the testing procedure was not followed, then the results could be inadmissible. The driver could have had other issues that contributed to the appearance of being under the influence. It might be viable to reduce the charges with treatment and a plea deal. Calling a law firm that has defended many underage drivers who are facing DUI allegations should be done immediately to plan for a defense in seeking a reasonable outcome.
