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Southaven, MS DUI Attorney

There’s little doubt that for the majority of those arrested for driving under the influence, the stress levels which accompany such an arrest are enormous. While DUI was, in the past, considered a relatively minor offense (unless someone was injured as a result), the penalties for DUI across the nation have increased significantly. This includes the state of Mississippi. In fact, a Southaven DUI conviction can result in the following:

  • For a first-time DUI conviction, you could spend up to 48 hours in jail, pay a fine from $250 to $1,000 and have your license suspended for 90 to 120 days.
  • For a second DUI conviction, you could face from five days to a year in jail, pay from $600 to $1,500 in fines, have your license suspended for two years, and you will be required to have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle.
  • For a third DUI conviction you could face one to five years in jail, be required to pay a fine from $2,000 to $5,000, have your license suspended for up to five years, and you will be required to have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle.

Like all other states in the U.S., the blood alcohol content for determining whether a person is legally impaired is .08 percent for an adult 21 or older, .02 percent for a person under the age of 21, and .04 percent for a person with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) operating their commercial vehicle. Mississippi operates under the implied consent law, meaning if you refuse to submit to a chemical test, you will be subject to an automatic license suspension of 90 days for a first offense and up to a year for subsequent offenses.

As you can see, a DUI conviction can bring very serious penalties, including jail, high financial costs, a suspended driver’s license and difficulty keeping your current job or obtaining a new job. Far too many people who have been charged with DUI make a grave error in deciding to handle it on their own. They may do so in order to save money, because they don’t understand the seriousness of the charges, or even because they are too embarrassed to talk to an attorney about their charges.

The fact is, in most cases your Southaven, MS, DUI attorney is likely the only person standing directly between you and a potentially severe punishment for a crime you may not even have committed. Should you only have had one or two drinks, you may feel that the judge will “understand” and exercise leniency in your case, but this is simply not true. You can count on the prosecutor taking a tough stance against your charges and pursing the strictest punishment possible.

What Can a Southaven, MS, DUI Lawyer Do For You?

Once you call Stroud, Flechas & Dalton, our attorneys will thoroughly search for any potential errors made by the police in your case, and we will actively question how your breathalyzer test was administered and whether proper calibration of the device occurred. There may have been errors in your initial traffic stop regarding whether there was probable cause to pull you over or search your car.

In some cases, an attorney from Stroud, Flechas & Dalton could have your case dismissed entirely.  Therefore you should never try to go it alone when you are facing DUI charges. Your choice of DUI attorney is really the most crucial part of your case since the best choice may allow you to keep your driver’s license and avoid jail time. A DUI attorney from Stroud, Flechas & Dalton can also engage in plea bargaining for potentially lesser charges and this, in itself, can be worth whatever the attorney charges.

The very best time to contact a Southaven, MS, DUI attorney is as soon as possible following your arrest. Remember that not only are you not obligated to speak to the police other than answering the most basic questions—it is a terrible idea to do so. The right to remain silent is an important one, and one that you should absolutely take full advantage of. Anything you say really will be used against you, so remain silent, other than to politely request an attorney. Hiring a DUI attorney from Stroud, Flechas & Dalton will ensure the best outcome to your Southaven, MS, DUI charges.