Strong penalties in Arizona for teens convicted of DUI

Posted on April 15, 2016 in Underage Drinking

The next few months will mark a very busy time for many high school students. April is often thought of as prom season, followed by graduation and the end of the school year in late May/early June. These events often lead to celebrations, and at some of these parties, there may be people drinking alcoholic beverages.

Teens need to know that law enforcement is out in full force during these events. They are looking for any motorists who exhibit signs of being under the influence. If police stop a teen driver and suspect that he or she has been drinking, the driver could find themselves facing very severe penalties.

The consequences of an underage DUI in Arizona

Arizona is one of the toughest states in the country on DUI, and these strong penalties apply to those under the age of 21 as well. Under the state’s DUI laws, motorists under 21 fall into a zero tolerance category. That means that if their blood-alcohol content is above 0.0 percent, they couldbe facing DUI charges.

If convicted of an underage DUI, the motorist will lose his or her license. Teen drivers also face extremely high fines and increased insurance costs, and this will have other impacts as well. It will look bad to potential employers, and could make it more difficult to get into their college of choice.

What you should do if facing DUI charges

You need to know that these cases are not just going to go away. A conviction for DUI can follow you around for the rest of your life. It will make everything much more challenging, so you need to be sure that you take advantage of all of your options when building a defense to these allegations.

The very first thing that you should do to build your defense is to contact an experienced attorney. Your attorney will be able to ensure that your rights are being protected and that you do not give police any information that may be used against you.

As things move forward, your attorney will be able to attempt to find a resolution to your case that could potentially minimize some of the consequences of a conviction. This will ensure that you are able to put this mistake behind you and move forward. You do not have to let your conviction ruin your plans for the future.