Jail Sentences for Alexandria DUI Cases

DUI arrests are taken seriously in Alexandria, Virginia. When an individual is arrested for a DUI they will be taken through a specific arrest and booking process. Following the arrest and trial process, if the individual is convicted of their DUI charge it is possible that they may be sentenced to jail time, especially if it is a repeat offense. An Alexandria DUI defense lawyer can work with someone charged with a DUI, to guide them through the case process and help them avoid incarceration, or at least to lessen the jail time that they could be facing. If the individual would be facing mandatory minimum sentencing for their conviction, then the only way to avoid incarceration may be for the attorney to attempt to get the charge dismissed entirely.

What Happens After an Arrest

After someone is arrested in Alexandria, the police take them to Central Booking. Central Booking is the place where they acquire all of the individual’s information, they fingerprint them, and they take their picture. Central Booking is located at the Alexandria Detention Center.

Central Booking v. Jail

Central Booking is a part of the jail in Alexandria. Before an individual actually checks in as an inmate, they go to Central Booking so that Booking can ask them questions, get their information, and process them as an inmate. It is the place where they actually get processed into the portion of the jail that they are going to be staying in.

Jail Possibilities for an Alexandria DUI

It is absolutely possible to go to jail for a DUI in Alexandria. Depending on the circumstances of the DUI charge, the terms of incarceration will vary. A first-time DUI conviction in Alexandria could result in up to one year in jail.

For example, if someone is convicted of a DUI and it was determined that their blood alcohol content was between, 0.15 and 0.20, there is a mandatory minimum jail sentence of five days. If they are convicted of a DUI and it was determined that their blood alcohol content was 0.21 or above, there is a mandatory minimum jail sentence of ten days. This is in addition to whatever sentence the judge sets, which could be up to a year in a jail.

Consequently, if this is a subsequent DUI offense, there are going to be additional penalties added to the judge’s sentence.

Mandatory Minimum Sentences

A mandatory minimum jail sentence means that, if an individual is found guilty, under that particular subsection of the statute, the judge has no choice but to order them to serve at least the mandatory minimum in jail. There is no way a judge can change the mandatory minimum jail sentence. A judge is not able to suspend the time mandated and it is not possible to decrease the time by exhibiting good behavior. Also, it is not possible to get the half time that misdemeanors normally carry if the individual is of good behavior while they are in the jail. Mandatory minimums are simply mandatory.