Is A DUI A Felony?
A felony is a serious crime leading to imprisonment in the prison of the state. The duration of the punishment is evaluated by a high term and low mid term. One can ask the question- is a DUI a felony? Whether a DUI can be a felony or not depends upon a lot of factors. Cases of driving under influence fall into three categories- misdemeanors, felonies and wobblers. Drunk driving charged as a felony may result in very harsh penalties. Felonies can be punished by a year or more in a prison, while demeanors are punishable by up to a year in county jail. Wobblers get punishment through confinement in state prison. Wobblers are different from straight felonies in the conviction imputed and in the relief after the conviction.
If an individual is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and indulges in an illegal act or ignores the law while driving a vehicle which was the probable reason of the crash and harms somebody else, then the DUI is understood as a felony. But, even in such a case, the driver should be guilty of causing harm to others. In case the driver is not at all guilty in the collision then the driver can be charged with a misdemeanor. In case the driver of a commercial vehicle has Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .04 % or more causes injury through an illegal act or ignores any enforced law, then the driver may be charged with a felony. Punishment may include confinement in the county jail or state prison, suspension of driving privileges, fines and the regularity in a drugs and alcohol education course. If a driver is being arrested of a felony DUI and thereafter charged of another DUI offence within a period of 10 years, the subsequent DUI will be punishable as a felony. If you or your family member has been arrested for DUI then you may take the help of a DUI lawyer to make you escape from the case in case you are guilty or will help you in getting the compensation in case your are not guilty at all. Drunk driving may be given the status of felony when the result of driving includes injuries to others. Where there is substantial body harm or bodily injury, depending upon the jurisdiction's statuary language, the charge in most of the states is referred to as felony drunk driving. Is a DUI a felony or not will again depend upon the entire situation in which the driver under influence caused harm and loss to others. |