Georgia law is very strict on minors that are suspected of DUI. For one, the legal blood alcohol level is .02%, not the typical .08% for those 21 and over. Minors typically have less body mass than adults, which means that even just one alcoholic beverage may make a minor guilty of DUI. Georgia essentially has a zero-tolerance policy for minors and DUI.
When facing an underage DUI, it is important to know that most judges view the charge very harshly. No judge wants to be known as the one that lets minors get away with driving under the influence, and I have seen many impose much harsher sentences on minors for DUI than they ever would for an adult. There is also usually a lecture given about the dangers of alcohol and the importance of living a law-abiding life.
One of the most effective ways to minimize a DUI for a minor is to offer reasons to the court for the behavior that lead to the traffic stop. For example, in one of my cases, a young man was driving home from work after he had been working the third shift. Understandably tired, he veered over the centerline and was pulled over by the police as a possible DUI. He had indeed had one beer after work, and because of the .02% BAC limit, he was borderline DUI. However, I got the case dismissed at a preliminary hearing by showing the court that the reason that my client was “weaving” was that he was tired from having worked all night (and it had nothing to do with alcohol). Once the judge heard that, he was much more understanding and lenient than he otherwise would have been.
A DUI for a minor carries serious consequences. A conviction can affect your education and job prospects, and it will follow you for the rest of your life. In a tough economy, you can’t afford to have a DUI on your record—hire an aggressive attorney and fight back. Connect with our law firm online now to setup a free case interview.