If you are caught driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol for the first time, you may not be let off with a simple warning. Rather, the state of New Jersey considers this to be a serious criminal offense, and it may be punished as such. With this, you may only imagine the severity of the penalties for a third or subsequent DUI offense. If you find yourself in this predicament, continue reading to learn the punishment for a third or subsequent DUI in New Jersey and how an experienced Morristown DUI defense lawyer at Graves Andrews, LLC can help you lessen it.
What is the punishment for a third or subsequent DUI in New Jersey?
It is never a good thing for a law enforcement officer to measure your blood-alcohol content (BAC) level at 0.08 percent or higher during a traffic stop. But it is even worse if this is the third or subsequent time you have this high BAC level while behind the wheel. That is, for a third or subsequent DUI offense in the state of New Jersey, you may be faced with the following harsh punishments:
- A jail sentence of up to 180 days (i.e., six months).
- A driver’s license suspension of up to eight years.
- An ignition interlock device in your vehicle during your suspension, and two to four years after it is reinstated.
- Mandatory attendance at a New Jersey Intoxicated Driver Resource Center of up to 48 hours.
- A plethora of hefty fines:
- A standard $1,000 fine.
- A $125 DUI surcharge.
- A $100 fine to the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Fund.
- A $100 fine to the Drunk Driving Fund.
- A $75 fine to the Neighborhood Services Fund.
- A $50 fine to the Victims of Crime Compensation Office.
What can I do to lessen the punishments placed against me?
You must understand that even though it may be your third time being found driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it may not constitute your third DUI offense. This is because your offenses must have been within 10 years of one another. So if it has been more than 10 years since your previous DUI offense, you may only be charged with a second-offense DUI. This may come with lessened penalties, which read as follows:
- A jail sentence of anywhere between two to 90 days.
- A driver’s license suspension of anywhere between one to two years.
- An ignition interlock device in your vehicle during your suspension, and two to four years after it is reinstated.
- Mandatory attendance at a New Jersey Intoxicated Driver Resource Center of up to 48 hours.
- A plethora of hefty fines, including the standard $1,000 fine.
And of course, there are criminal defense strategies you may adopt to dismiss the charges placed against you altogether. In conclusion, a skilled Morristown criminal defense lawyer can help kickstart your legal action today. Our team at Graves Andrews, LLC will happily take on your case.
