Loudoun Criminal Defense Lawyer

DUI Offenses in Virginia

“DUI” stands for “driving under the influence.” Whether you are accused of driving drunk from alcohol or high from drugs, the results are the same.

DUI punishments are severe in the state. Penalties rise with each accusation, depending on how far apart those accusations are:

• 1^st offense = up to 1 year in jail; license revoked for up to 1 year; mandatory $250 fine; fines can go up to $2,500
• 2^nd offense within 5 years = 20 days to 1 year in jail; license revoked for 1 year followed by 2 years of restricted license; mandatory $500 fine
• 2^nd offense within 10 years = 10 days to 1 year in jail; license revoked for 4 months followed by 2.5 years of restricted license; mandatory $500 fine
• 3^rd offense within 5 years = 180 days to 5 years in prison; license revoked indefinitely; car could be impounded; mandatory $1,000 fine
• 3^rd offense within 10 years = 90 days to 5 years in prison; license revoked indefinitely; car could be impounded; mandatory $1,000 fine
• 4^th offense within 10 years = 1 to 5 years in prison; license revoked indefinitely; car could be impounded; mandatory $1,000 fine

Almost anything could be elevated to a DUI charge. Police must only suspect that you drove under the influence to initiate an arrest. They could accuse you of being on prescription drugs or having too much coffee. As long as they believe an outside substance affected your driving, you could be charged with driving under the influence. 

Let our firm take on your DUI case in Loudon County. Evidence in a DUI case can be weak and easily dismantled. Breathalyzers are unreliable, and you could fail a field sobriety test while completely sober. 

DUID (driving under the influence of drugs) charges are particularly flimsy. Blood tests don’t account for every drug. Police could accuse you of being high with no evidence of the drug being in your system. 

Our team can scrutinize the evidence against you. If it is incomplete or circumstantial, we may be able to challenge it in court.

Reckless Driving Crimes in Virginia

By Virginia law, a driver whose behavior “endanger[s] the life, limb, or property of any person” can be charged with reckless driving. 

Examples of reckless driving include:

• Street racing
• Using faulty brakes
• Weaving across lanes
• Ignoring Right of Way
• Dangerous, illegal passing
• Driving too close to the car ahead
• Failing to signal for turns or lane changes
• Overloading your vehicle, obstructing your view

A reckless driving charge can also simply reflect how fast you were going. At any speed over 80, you could be accused. Penalties depend on the egregiousness of the driving behavior. 

A reckless driving allegation could result in:

• Fines up to $2,500
• Up to 1 year in jail
• 6 points on your license
• Driving privileges suspended up to 6 months.

Jail time is rare for reckless driving, but it is possible, especially if the offender injured someone. Multiple offenses are also likely to increase penalties as well. Reckless driving can also be tacked on to another charge such as a DUI. This allows the authorities to make penalties more severe.

Never forget that you are entitled to a defense, no matter the charge. There is no accusation too “small.” If you are facing a reckless driving charge, our team is here to help.

Dischley Law, PLLC is prepared to defend Loudoun residents from reckless driving and DUI charges. If you’ve been accused of either offense or both, call us today at (703) 215-9337 for a free consultation. You can also use our online contact form.