DUI Attorney Services

The legal limit for blood alcohol content varies depending on who is driving, and the vehicle being driven. It is illegal for anyone to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level higher than .08%. In addition, it is illegal for CDL drivers in Oregon to exceed a BAC level of .04% while driving. Those who are under the age of 21 cannot have any percent of BAC while driving, due to Oregon’s zero-tolerance policy.

The severity of penalties that you can incur will vary depending on the circumstances of the arrest, as well as your previous driving and criminal record. For most first-time offenses, the offender will be charged with a misdemeanor DUII, which may result in up to a year of jail time, and a fine of up to $6,250. Misdemeanor DUIIs are considered Class A misdemeanors. For repeat offenders, and those who are facing more serious arrest circumstances, the state may pursue a felony DUII conviction. Felony DUIIs may result in up to five years of prison time, and fines of up to $125,000. Felony DUIIs are usually only charged against offenders who have had three or more DUII convictions within the last 10 years. Felony DUIIs are considered Class C felonies.

Yes. Officers can arrest and charge you for multiple infractions at the same time, and the court can attempt to prosecute on multiple infractions at once. In a given arrest, you may be accused of recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving, criminal mischief, failure to obey traffic control devices, careless driving, and other infractions. If the court convicts you of these violations, you can be facing a harsher sentence and heavier fines.

Yes. Officers can charge individuals with a DUII even if the vehicle wasn’t in motion. The officer still must have reasonable grounds to place a charge against you.

If you’re under the age of 21 (the legal drinking age in Oregon), you can still be charged with a DUII. In fact, the laws surrounding those who are under 21 are even more strict, since Oregon has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for impaired driving. Those who are under 21 cannot have any percentage of blood alcohol in their system while driving, nor can they be impaired in any other way. Those who are between the ages of 18 and 21 will be tried for a DUII in the same fashion as those who are over 21 years old, although they can incur a violation even if their BAC level is less than .08%. Those who are under the age of 18 and have been arrested for a driving under the influence of intoxicants violation may be tried in a juvenile court.

While you can defend yourself from prosecution in the courts, it may be in your favor to hire a criminal defense attorney. A criminal defense lawyer understands court proceedings, and they can represent you on your behalf. This knowledge can go a long way to help you reduce charges, reduce the severity of sentencing, or to have your charges dropped altogether.

In certain cases, your charges may be dropped or reduced. If you hire a lawyer here at Donahue Law Firm, we’ll do our utmost to minimize the impact of the charges held against you. We’ll work with you to formulate a game plan that is in your best interest. Again, it’s always our goal to reduce your charges, reduce the severity of your sentencing (if you are convicted of your charges), or to have your charges dropped altogether. For example, for certain first-time infractions, it may be possible to convince the court to knock a DUII charge down to a reckless driving charge — a charge that carries far less severe penalties. Reach out to a lawyer here at Donahue Law Firm for a free consultation about your options.

The legal limit for blood alcohol content varies depending on who is driving, and the vehicle being driven. It is illegal for anyone to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level higher than .08%. In addition, it is illegal for CDL drivers in Oregon to exceed a BAC level of .04% while driving. Those who are under the age of 21 cannot have any percent of BAC while driving, due to Oregon’s zero-tolerance policy.

The severity of penalties that you can incur will vary depending on the circumstances of the arrest, as well as your previous driving and criminal record. For most first-time offenses, the offender will be charged with a misdemeanor DUII, which may result in up to a year of jail time, and a fine of up to $6,250. Misdemeanor DUIIs are considered Class A misdemeanors. For repeat offenders, and those who are facing more serious arrest circumstances, the state may pursue a felony DUII conviction. Felony DUIIs may result in up to five years of prison time, and fines of up to $125,000. Felony DUIIs are usually only charged against offenders who have had three or more DUII convictions within the last 10 years. Felony DUIIs are considered Class C felonies.

Yes. Officers can arrest and charge you for multiple infractions at the same time, and the court can attempt to prosecute on multiple infractions at once. In a given arrest, you may be accused of recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving, criminal mischief, failure to obey traffic control devices, careless driving, and other infractions. If the court convicts you of these violations, you can be facing a harsher sentence and heavier fines.

Yes. Officers can charge individuals with a DUII even if the vehicle wasn’t in motion. The officer still must have reasonable grounds to place a charge against you.

If you’re under the age of 21 (the legal drinking age in Oregon), you can still be charged with a DUII. In fact, the laws surrounding those who are under 21 are even more strict, since Oregon has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for impaired driving. Those who are under 21 cannot have any percentage of blood alcohol in their system while driving, nor can they be impaired in any other way. Those who are between the ages of 18 and 21 will be tried for a DUII in the same fashion as those who are over 21 years old, although they can incur a violation even if their BAC level is less than .08%. Those who are under the age of 18 and have been arrested for a driving under the influence of intoxicants violation may be tried in a juvenile court.

While you can defend yourself from prosecution in the courts, it may be in your favor to hire a criminal defense attorney. A criminal defense lawyer understands court proceedings, and they can represent you on your behalf. This knowledge can go a long way to help you reduce charges, reduce the severity of sentencing, or to have your charges dropped altogether.

In certain cases, your charges may be dropped or reduced. If you hire a lawyer here at Donahue Law Firm, we’ll do our utmost to minimize the impact of the charges held against you. We’ll work with you to formulate a game plan that is in your best interest. Again, it’s always our goal to reduce your charges, reduce the severity of your sentencing (if you are convicted of your charges), or to have your charges dropped altogether. For example, for certain first-time infractions, it may be possible to convince the court to knock a DUII charge down to a reckless driving charge — a charge that carries far less severe penalties. Reach out to a lawyer here at Donahue Law Firm for a free consultation about your options.