If you have been accused of driving under the influence in the state of Colorado, you need to be prepared to understand that the consequences can be strict and severe. You will not necessarily go to jail immediately after being accused of a DUI as the officer in charge will review your case specifically and determine whether or not you will be going to jail.
However, if you are convicted of DUI, jail time is a potential penalty. The first possibility of jail time will come after a DUI arrest. Those individuals who are suspected of impaired driving may be arrested as long as they have not been involved in a serious vehicle accident and require immediate medical attention. After you’ve been arrested, the other stages of your case that could lead to jail time for your Colorado DUI is when these end in convictions. The amount of jail time imposed in your sentence will depend on whether or not the DUI involved death or injuries, whether the individual involved has previous DUIs and the blood alcohol content of that individual.
If there are no aggravating circumstances associated with the case, possible jail time will depend on whether or not this is the person’s first DUI conviction and their level of blood alcohol content. The minimum jail time for a first DUI conviction with a blood alcohol content of less than 0.20% is five days but this could be extended to as long as one year.
Subsequent DUI convictions will of course carry more significant penalties and should be taken seriously. You need to retain an experienced criminal defense attorney in Colorado immediately after you have been accused of a DUI as there are very high stakes on the line.
If you were put in jail and accused of a DUI with more aggravating factors, you can’t afford to leave your defense up to chance. You need a DUI lawyer on your side who will investigate the evidence and help you with next steps.