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Multiple DUI Offenses

Denver Multiple DUI Offense Lawyer

 

Representation for Multiple DUI Charges in Colorado

If you are convicted of DUI in Colorado, you may face serious consequences, including the loss of driving privileges, high court fines, extended period of probation, and possibly jail time. But what if this is your second or third time being charged with DUI? Colorado law mandates that drivers convicted of a second DUI in a lifetime must spend a minimum of 10 days in jail. Your third DUI conviction carries a minimum jail time of 60 days in county jail.

In Colorado, past DUI convictions from other states are brought to bear on your punishment. Alcohol offenses are lifelong offenses in Colorado. Contact us for your free consultation with our Denver multiple DUI lawyers. 

Repeat DUI Offender DUI Charges in Colorado

The results of a conviction for a repeat DUI offender are truly devastating. That is why when you are facing another DUI charge on top of one you already have from this state or another, you need the help of a Denver DUI lawyer to defend you. When you enlist the help of the attorneys at The Orr Law Firm, you enlist focused and passionate DUI attorneys who have years of experience handling cases like yours.

We fight to preserve your right to drive, and we do everything within our power to keep you from spending time in jail. If jail is mandatory, we do everything to help position you in such a way to convince the court why you deserve the minimum sentence and not the maximum. Our attorneys gather and examine all the facts surrounding your DUI charge to help explore any possibility of having the DUI charges lessened or dropped completely.

The penalties for multiple DUI convictions include:

Colorado First Offense DUI

For your Colorado DUI first offense, you will face a license revocation, especially if you do not go to the DMV to request a hearing within the mandatory seven-calendar-day period after being arrested. Failure to request a hearing in writing or in person with the DMV within seven calendar days will result in an automatic revocation of your license for nine months. The maximum criminal punishment for DUI in Colorado is one year in jail, along with a $1,000 fine, 96 hours of community service, two years of probation, and 110 hours of alcohol education and therapy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second DUI Colorado

For a second DUI offense in Colorado, the law dictates that you must spend a minimum of 10 days in jail, and the maximum is still one year in jail. This is still the case even if the prior conviction occurred in another state and/or was many years ago. You will also have your license revoked for no less than one year. The amount of time your license will be revoked depends on how much time has passed between the two offenses and whether the prior offense was in the state of Colorado. 

It is critical for you to understand that on second and subsequent offenses, Colorado does not bifurcate or distinguish between DUI or DWAI convictions. Any alcohol or drug-related conviction will be considered a prior. Once you are on a second or subsequent offense, the penalties are exactly the same regardless of whether your priors or current conviction is for DWAI or DUI.

 

Third DUI in Colorado

A third DUI offense in Colorado will require a minimum sentence of 60 days in jail and up to one year in a county jail. If you are found to be a habitual traffic offender, you could spend time in jail or even prison for a Class 6 Felony. You could also lose your license for up to five years depending on how much time has passed between your DUI offenses. In addition, you also face the highest fines imposed on DUI offenders if this is your third or subsequent offense.

Do not be fooled and think that because your priors were many years ago that the court and the DA will work with you or “cut you a break.” The law in Colorado does not allow for it. If convicted of a third or subsequent offense, pack your toothbrush because you are going to jail. The question just becomes – for how long?

Turn to Us for a Seasoned Denver DUI Law Firm

The Orr Law firm's primary focus is DUI and criminal traffic defense. Rhidian Orr and his team of experienced attorneys have worked on thousands of DUI cases and garnered a reputation as one of Colorado’s best DUI law firms. When you bring your case to The Orr Law Firm, you know you are receiving legal guidance and representation from a team of lawyers and staff who focuses their practice in this particular type of law and has demonstrated success navigating the difficult terrain of Colorado DUI laws.

DUI & Lifetime Consequences in Colorado

Alcohol offenses are lifetime offenses in Colorado. Convictions cannot be expunged and the case cannot be sealed. Because of the legislation to make DUI and other alcohol offenses lifelong offenses, a large number of cases are being treated as a multiple offense or a repeat offender.

Multiple convictions for alcohol-related driving offenses require minimum mandatory jail time in Colorado. It does not matter where the prior offense occurred or how long ago it occurred. If the state of Colorado finds a prior alcohol conviction from another state, the district attorney will be forced to seek jail time and the judge will be legally bound to sentence you to no less than the mandatory minimums upon conviction or a plea to an alcohol-related driving offense. Multiple offenders should always hire a seasoned Colorado DUI lawyer to represent their interests and protect their freedoms.

Why Fight Your Multiple DUI Charges in CO?

Clients with prior offenses oftentimes ask why they should fight their case or why a jury would believe them if they have a prior offense. The burden of proof for the State does not change regardless if this is a first offense or a sixth. The district attorney cannot use your priors in trial (as long as you or your defense attorney does not “open the door”); the evidence and testimony in your case will be the determining factors of your guilt.

Prior offenses only come into play in determining the appropriate sentencing and penalties. Sentencing requirements for repeat offenders are more severe than that of first-time offenders unless there are aggravating factors, such as:

  • Accidents
  • Injuries
  • High BACs
  •  
  • Lack of cooperation or remorse
  • Etc.

The Legislator passed HB 1347 effective July 1, 2010 that increased penalties for multiple offenders. Multiple offenders are no longer eligible for alternative sentencing programs and the minimum mandatory jail time has significantly increased. If you have been charged with a DUI, regardless if you have a prior offense, you need to seek the counsel of a competent and skilled Colorado DUI defense law firm.

Repeat offenders have the same rights as first-time offenders. Exercise your rights and hire the right Denver multiple DUI offenses lawyer. Call (303) 747-4247!