Fredericksburg Felony DUI Lawyer

In most cases, Fredericksburg DUI charges are misdemeanors. As such, most DUI cases proceed in the General District Court.

Although the criminal penalties and sentences for misdemeanor DUI convictions are not as high as with felonies, they can still be quite serious. These potential penalties may consist of high monetary fines, as well as jail time. The potential penalties can escalate even further if you sustain a felony DUI conviction.

Any DUI charge or conviction is serious business. If you have sustained a felony DUI charge in Fredericksburg, you should retain an experienced attorney as soon as possible in your case. A Fredericksburg felony DUI lawyer could help you put your best foot forward in court, both at trial and at a sentencing hearing.

Felony DUI Courts

The General District Court has exclusive jurisdiction over misdemeanor DUI cases. In a felony DUI case, however, the General District Court will most likely hold the preliminary hearing.

Assuming the district court judge finds probable cause at the preliminary hearing, the case will proceed to the circuit court. Once the circuit court receives the case, the clerk will set in a trial date. A Fredericksburg felony DUI attorney is familiar with the process of the courts and could help a defendant with the procedure.

Legal Bases for Felony DUI Charges

A defendant may sustain a felony DUI charge under a variety of legal circumstances. Those circumstances include the following:

• Multiple Prior DUI Convictions – In the event a defendant’s criminal record shows two or more active-status DUI convictions over the past 10 years, they can sustain a felony DUI charge.
• Prior Felony DUI Conviction – Once a Fredericksburg driver sustains a felony DUI conviction, any subsequent DUI charge will also be a felony DUI. When it comes to a prior felony DUI conviction, there is no applicable time limitation. For example, if a driver sustains a felony DUI conviction in 1998 and incurs another DUI charge in 2018, that 2018 charge will also be a felony DUI charge.
• Injury or death to others – If a drunk driver injures or kills someone else in an accident, the DUI charge will be a felony DUI. This is true even if the driver had never sustained a DUI charge in the past. Any injury sustained in an accident, from a broken bone to a laceration, can result in felony DUI charges for the at-fault driver.

Call a Fredericksburg Felony DUI Attorney

If you sustain a guilty finding or conviction for felony DUI, you could face severe criminal penalties. Those penalties may include hefty fines and significant amounts of jail time.

In addition, a court may impose certain administrative penalties, including driver’s license revocation or restriction, mandatory attendance at an Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), and mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. Moreover, if you sustain a felony DUI conviction, the Commonwealth could seize your vehicle.

The bottom line is that you cannot take a felony DUI charge – or any DUI charge – lightly. A Fredericksburg felony DUI lawyer could explain all of your legal options to you and help you decide on the best option for your case.