Under 21 DUI in Georgia
Georgia law states that it is illegal for any person to consume alcohol until they have reached 21 years of age. A person over 21 that is charged with a DUI faces severe penalties. However, anyone under 21 who drinks, drives, and is charged with DUI faces even more intense punishments. Our Underage DUI Lawyers in Georgia understand the penalties you are facing if accused of a DUI. If your case is not handled by an attorney who has extensive experience in DUI law, you could be jeopardizing your future! Time is of the essence so hire the best Georgia Teenage DUI Lawyers from the very beginning.
What Happens if I am a Teenager Charged with a DUI in Georgia?
While it is illegal for people under 21 to be drinking at all, and especially not drinking and driving, drivers under 21 have a lower legal BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration). The BAC for people 21 and older is .08. However, for people under 21, it is .02.
DUI's differ from other offenses because there are two cases against you: the Department of Driver Services (DDS) and the Court. DDS can suspend your license if you do not file a 30 Day Letter. This letter is due within 30 calendar days of your arrest, and a failure to request a hearing will result in your license being suspended for up to a year. That is one of many reasons it is important to act quickly if arrested for a Georgia Underage DUI. Our attorneys file ALS Hearing letters every day and understand how critical it is to your future. We realize that you are driving to school, work, and other extra-curricular activities and your license is essential.
After the 30 Day Letter is sent, you will receive a notice date for the administrative license hearing (ALS). You are not required to go to this hearing. We frequently go instead of our clients. At this hearing, we meet with the officer that arrested you. Our options are to fight the underlying DUI charge or settle it with an agreement between you and the arresting officer. Our goal at the hearing is to keep you driving. Winning this hearing saves your Georgia Driver's license and your Georgia driving privileges.
After this hearing, your case will proceed where you were arrested. Your driver's license is saved, but you are still facing jail time, fines, probation, and other penalties. We will work with the prosecutor to achieve the best outcome for your case!
Our Teenage DUI Attorneys in Georgia are skilled in saving your license at ALS hearings and reducing your punishment at court. We travel all over Georgia and have gotten to know police officers, prosecutors, and judges. We believe it has given us a significant advantage because we know what they like to hear! This, in turn, helps us obtain favorable outcomes in your case.
What if I Received a DUI but was not Actually Drunk?
We frequently receive this question as Underage DUI Lawyers in Georgia. Because the legal limit is .02, we find that many people are charged with a DUI without actually being “under the influence.” This is a tremendous challenge because these young people are accused of a crime that could potentially stay with them the rest of their lives. We do not believe it is fair and that is why we have dedicated ourselves to look for alternative outcomes. Our Georgia DUI Lawyers attend trainings and conferences to make sure we are up on the recent law developments. We study case law for defenses and explore every option when you or your child is facing a DUI in Georgia.
We have had numerous cases where the driver was under 21, completely sober but his BAC was just over. 02 and they were charged with a DUI. If they had been just a little older, no crime would have occurred. One of the challenges is that the driver is technically guilty of the DUI laws in Georgia without actually being impaired. A more fair charge would be minor in possession of alcohol (MIP). Our goal is to show the prosecutor that our clients deserve an alternative punishment. In cases where the prosecutor refused to negotiate, we have had success taking cases to trial and asking a jury to disregard the law because it is simply not fair to make someone a criminal for the rest of their life when they were actually not under the influence of alcohol.
While every case is different and we cannot guarantee the outcome, we can guarantee that you will receive the best defense with our team of Georgia Teenage DUI Attorneys. We will explore every defense and option for your case because we do not want this to impact the rest of your life!
The Penalty for Underage DUI in Georgia
People charged with an underage DUI are unfortunately facing the same or greater possible consequences than drivers over 21 in Georgia. Jail time, fines, probation, community service, and rehabilitation are all consequences you could be subject to.
However, one of the most important consequences is that a conviction will be on your criminal record for life. For people under 21, it will have lasting implications. It can result in a loss of scholarship whether academic or athletic, and it has to be reported on college applications, Pleading guilty to a DUI limits options that a young person may not even understand. We get calls every day from clients in their 20s and 30s seeking for their underage DUI case to be reopened. Their prior DUI's are preventing them from getting a job. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done.
That is why it is critical to fight the charges of an underage DUI in Georgia now! We want to prevent you from missing opportunities later in life due to a mistake you made when you were young.
We Can Help with your Georgia Teenage DUI Case
Our team of Georgia DUI Lawyers understands that it is stressful, scary, and overwhelming when charged with a DUI. We will help you understand your charges, the process, and the potential penalties. Then, we will start working on your defense! We will scrutinize all the evidence to look for gaps in the prosecutor's case and file motions on your behalf aimed to reduce or dismiss the charges. No matter if you are the parent of a young person facing DUI charges or you been charged, let us help you make sense of it all. We are here 24/7 to answer your questions. Call now.
