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Driving Under the Influence - DUI

Greenville, Spartanburg, South Carolina

The Greenville, South Carolina criminal defense attorneys of the Dick James Law Firm are highly skilled in providing resourceful and well-researched legal representation to their clients who have been accused of Driving Under the Influence.

A DUI conviction is generally accompanied by large fines, a probation period and the temporary suspension or permanent loss of your driving privileges. The severity of each of these consequences depends on whether your conviction is a first time offense or you are considered to be a repeat offender. You may also face other charges depending on the circumstances surrounding your offense. For example, if you caused loss of life, you may also be charged with other crimes like wrongful death and vehicular manslaughter.

What is DUI?

DUI is the abbreviation for driving under the influence. In order to be charged with a DUI offense, it must be proven that your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is greater than .08. Having a BAC at this level deems you legally impaired. Your BAC level will vary depending on how much alcohol you have consumed and the amount of time that has passed since consumption.

Felony Drunk Driving Charges

In most cases, a DUI charge is considered to be a misdemeanor offense. This changes if you are a repeat offender or if you have injured or killed another person. In these cases, your charge is upgraded to felony drunk driving. This felony is known as vehicular manslaughter when the accident results in another person's death.

If your DUI offense is combined with any other felony charges, it may be raised to felony drunk driving. A felony drunk driving charge may include jail time with a long probationary period to follow. Your license may be revoked as well.

In order to avoid the consequences of a DUI conviction, you must have resourceful, persuasive and experienced defense attorneys in your corner. A DUI conviction can ruin your reputation socially and professionally. It can cause you to lose your job if your license is suspended or revoked and it can label you for the rest of your life. 

To learn more about DUI or our Spartanburg and Greenville, South Carolina criminal defense attorneys, please contact the Dick James Law Firm today. Choose carefully who you will trust with your freedom and contact our lawyers as soon as possible so that we can begin preparing your case.