Olive Branch, Mississippi, DUI Attorneys

Driving under the influence, especially when it involves minors behind the wheel, can create problems for all drivers, even those in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Olive Branch is located in DeSoto County and is a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee. The sprawling suburb is part of the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area, which covers 8 counties in three different states. Olive Branch has a population of just over 30,000 people and is the ninth largest city in Mississippi. Its population has been steadily rising due the middle-class families leaving the problems associated with of the big city of Memphis. However, with increased populations comes an increase in the number of drivers and where there are more drivers, there are bound to be more instances of driving under the influence.

The State of Mississippi, including the city of Olive Branch, forbids anyone from driving while under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating drug. In Mississippi, like many other places, intoxication from alcohol is measured by the BAC, which is blood alcohol content/concentration. BAC is usually measured in percentages of ethanol alcohol in the blood stream. One is considered intoxicated if your blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% or higher. However, if the suspected Olive Branch drunk driver is under the legal drinking age, Mississippi law only requires that their BAC be 0.02%.

Minors who are suspected of driving under the influence face slightly different penalties. In Mississippi, if the minor’s BAC is more than 0.02% but less than 0.08%, the minor will, upon a first conviction of driving under the influence, face losing his or her license for up to 90 days and will have to pay a $250.00 fine. The minor will also be required to attend DUI School and may even be required to sit in on a victim-impact panel. If, however, the minor has a BAC of 0.08% or greater, the normal provisions of the DUI statute in Mississippi apply. The penalties for a minor also increase in severity if there are subsequent violations of the DUI statute.

Individuals under the age of 18 require special protection from the dangerous influences of the world. Minors who commit criminal offenses, such as driving under the influence, can face significant penalties, which can include detention in a juvenile facility or being removed from their parents’ custody. The stiff penalties are designed to deter minors from committing these crimes in the future. If you are the parent or guardian of a minor child and your child is facing a driving under the influence charge in Mississippi, please contact the experienced Olive Branch DUI attorneys at Stroud, Flechas & Dalton. As an advocate on behalf of your son or daughter, our Olive Branch DUI attorneys will work hard to get the best possible result for your teenager. No one can ever be sure about how a judge or jury will decide a particular case. However, you can feel confident that our Olive Branch DUI attorneys are familiar with Mississippi’s DUI laws and will work hard to make sure that your son or daughter gets treated fairly before the law.