Stamford Third Offense DUI Charges

Third offense DUI charges in Stamford are prosecuted much more vigorously than first or second offense charges. This is because the courts are often viewing this individual as someone who may be a danger to the community or may have an alcohol problem that could put other people in harm’s way.

If you are facing such a charge, it is important to contact an experienced Stamford DUI lawyer immediately. A knowledgeable attorney can mount a defense to help reduce any potential penalties you may be facing.

Potential Penalties

For a third conviction DUI, a person is facing three years in jail, one year of which is a mandatory minimum, meaning that the judge cannot let the person out of jail for the whole year, as well as 100 hours of community service, and between a $2,000 to $8,000 fine.

If an individual has been convicted of a DUI within the last 10 years, then it will be connected to the next DUI.

Diversion Programs

An individual will not be eligible for a diversion program on a third offense DUI charge in Stamford, but probation will most definitely be part of the deal if they plead guilty or are found to be guilty.

Severity of the Charge

Just like prosecutors, courts treat third offense DUI charges in Stamford seriously. Judges also look at defendants that are repeat offenders as possibly dangerous to the community.

They may argue that the only way to keep the community safe would be to put the accused individual in jail.

With third offense DUI charges in Stamford, it becomes more likely that if the person refuses to take a deal and go to jail, they will be going to trial. The deals are much less forthcoming when a person is a repeat offender.

Third offense DUI charges in Stamford are heard at the Stamford Superior Court on Hoyt Street.

Defense Strategies

An attorney will prepare a defense strategy for a third offense DUI charge in Stamford the same way they would with a first or second time offenders, but with even more certainty that the individual will be going to trial.

An individual needs to review police reports and interview witnesses, subpoena tapes, review the field sobriety tests and the breathalyzer results to make sure they are accurate, and talk with the client and see if there is any possible defense that one can put forward that would be able to help one get a better result.

Impact on the Driver’s License

If an individual is convicted of a third offense DUI charge in Stamford, their driver’s license will be suspended indefinitely.

For a license suspension, the charges alone are enough to trigger penalties, but a conviction will trigger additional penalties.

Challenging the Suspension

Challenging the suspension of a driver’s license in a Stamford third offense DUI charge is the same for first offense or third offense DUI charges in that, when a person has a suspension hearing, they are looking at four different issues.

Those are the same four issues for every event, but one of the major issues is if the individual was driving a car when they blew above a 0.08 blood alcohol content. This will be considered when challenging a license suspension as the result of a third offense Stamford DUI charge.