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    Stamford Student DUI Charges

    A minor is almost always charged as an adult in DUI cases because driving a car is considered an adult activity. When a minor drives a car and they have been drinking alcohol, they will face their charge in adult court.

    In Stamford, students are often charged with DUIs when operating a vehicle while intoxicated. To best defend against such allegations, it is important to contact an experienced Stamford DUI attorney as soon as possible.

    Unique Aspects of the Charge

    The BAC level necessary to be charged with a DUI will be 0.08 for an adult of over 21 and 0.02 for anyone under 21.

    A DUI lawyer can use a client’s age as a reason to convince the prosecutor that rehabilitation is appropriate instead of punishment.

    Potential Penalties

    For a student’s first-time conviction for a Stamford DUI, they will face six months in jail, two days of which cannot be suspended. Therefore, the person would have to spend those two days in jail. If the judge agrees, the student may be able to trade those two days for 100 hours of community service.

    The person will have to attend at least one MADD victim impact panel, as well. They will also be fined at least $500, and may face a penalty of up to $1,000. The person will also be on probation and face lots of restrictions on travel. Further, the person would have to put an ignition interlock device in their car and whatever else the judge orders, which could include substance abuse evaluation and treatment.

    What Parents Should Expect

    The parents of a student facing a DUI charge in Stamford can expect to be in court a lot. They can also expect to have to get their child treatment, and to help the attorney impress upon the child how important it is to turn their life around if they are heading down the wrong path.

    Parents should be aware that this is not the type of thing that gets thrown out of court just because of a student’s age. The cases are taken very seriously, and the person is going to have to go through the same process that adults go through.

    Impact on Student Status

    Often, the police will tell the university that the student has been charged with a DUI, especially if it is campus police. They will give them a list of students who were arrested and what they were arrested for.

    If the university states, in their handbook, that a person cannot violate any of the state or federal law, which most universities do, they can take it upon themselves to start expulsion proceedings.

    The university may be more likely to expel the student if they are underage.

    Universities typically move much faster in dealing with their punishment than the courts do. When a student is charged, the university can start conduct proceedings and expel the student. Those are typically over long before there is any court conviction.

    Benefits of an Attorney

    It is important for a student facing Stamford DUI charges to contact a lawyer because it can affect the individual’s whole life. When the person is in adult court with all the other serious crimes, the crime will be taken very seriously. To protect the person’s record and to allow them to move on with their life, it is very important to hire a DUI attorney.

    One of the first things an attorney should tell a student that is facing DUI charges in Stamford is to explain all the ripple effects this could have on school, work, and family.

    A lawyer will also ask the student all the details possible about what happened that night or that day, and to be as upfront as possible with the attorney. An attorney can help a person the more that they know.