Call a qualified lawyer when charged with underage drunk driving

Underage drinking is a common issue in the news in New York and across the nation. It may be true that there is generally no preventing people who are underage from getting alcohol and deciding to drink, but one issue that is more concerning is the number of people who are underage and get behind the wheel of a car. Although other issues are granted more attention today such as distracted driving, drunk driving is still one of the most common causes of car accidents with injuries and fatalities. If a person is accused of underage drunk driving, it can hinder their lives for the long term. Having legal help to defend against these charges is undeniably important.

People under age 21 are not supposed to be drinking. When they do, that legal violation is compounded if they also choose to drive. Law enforcement is out in force looking for drivers who are under the influence. When there is a traffic stop, the underage driver can be confronted with an arrest and the loss of driving privileges just to start. There can also be jail time, fines and a record for having been arrested for DUI. It is important to remember that, despite the allegations, a driver can still formulate many different lines of defense to deal with the case.

When there is an arrest for underage drunk driving, the prosecution is only obligated to show that the driver had a blood-alcohol content of .02 percent or higher. That means even a small amount of alcohol for which a person who was of legal age to drink and might not feel any effects from can lead to a drunk driving charge and a conviction. Fortunately, there are methods to call the arrest into question. With such a low amount needed to consider the driver under the influence, there could be a reasonable explanation for the test to have come back with that amount of alcohol in the system. The traffic stop could have been done without proper cause. The testing equipment could have been faulty. It might be possible to take part in a program in lieu of harsh penalties.

With the start of the new school year and many people between 18 and 21 going away to college in New York State, it is unavoidable that there will be drunk driving charges lodged against some of them. To combat the charges and consequences of underage DWI, it is wise to contact a law firm that specializes in DWI defense.