The DUI jail penalties in Fredericksburg include up to 12 months in jail and up to $2,500 in fines. There is no mandatory minimum sentence unless the person’s blood alcohol content level is well above an acceptable amount. If this is the individual’s third DUI offense, then they would be charged with a felony and would be looking at a harsher sentence.
If you have been arrested for a driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you may want to seek the services of a well-established DUI lawyer. An attorney could stand by your side and advocate on your behalf throughout the legal process.
Places like Washington D.C. have a different system for central booking, but in Virginia, a person arrested for a DUI is usually taken to jail. When someone is being booked following a DUI, law enforcement will take the individuals fingerprints and also take their picture. After someone is booked, they are given a change of clothes and their properties are inventoried. Then they are taken into to see if they are going to be given a bond or not. If an individual is given a bond, then they could be processed to be released. When someone is booked, it is important that they reach out to an attorney or to a family member who can call a lawyer.
When an individual is brought to jail, they may have to submit a breath test. This is usually the first thing that a person must do before the booking process begins. Which jail the person is brought to depends on where the arrest took place. Some jails are really impersonal and do not have small holding areas. After a DUI arrest, the individual may be sent to jail with everyone else that is already in jail. Then the person will wait there until their bond is posted. An individual should expect DUI jail penalties in Fredericksburg to include some time in jail, fines, and a suspension of their driver’s license.
The medical resources available at the jail will depend on what stage the individual is in. If the person has an emergency medical situation, then the jail will have someone available to tend to the individual. They may transport the individual to the nearest hospital. It all depends on what the medical situation is.
Arrest records are made available to the public in Fredericksburg for anyone who is not a juvenile. These records are stored at the clerk’s office and probably also at the police station and jail, but they are definitely available in the online system. Mug shots are usually not made available to the public in Fredericksburg. The consequence of having a public arrest record is that anybody can search for anyone’s arrest record.
An option available to deal with an arrest record in Fredericksburg is to win the case and get it expunged. In Virginia, expungement is the only option. Expungement refers to record-sealing; it is not actually erased. If someone is acquitted of the DUI, their arrest record will remain completely public unless they file for expungement and it is granted by the court. Those who are eligible for expungement typically do not have to face DUI jail penalties in Fredericksburg, and through expungement can sometimes avoid the collateral consequences of a DUI as well.
If you are facing DUI jail penalties in Fredericksburg, it may be in your best interest to obtain legal counsel. A seasoned DUI attorney could review your case and give you advice on what your legal options are. Prosecutors in Fredericksburg work tirelessly to ensure that people pay the price for drinking and driving. However, a dedicated lawyer could help your situation by building a defense and negotiating with the prosecutor. A DUI has both short-term and long-term consequences. If you have been arrested for a DUI, schedule a consultation by calling an attorney today.