How to Beat a DUI in Indiana

Posted on December 11, 2021
  • Criminal Defense,
  • DUI

    • Getting caught behind the wheel after drinking can result in arrest and a charge for driving or operating a vehicle while under the influence. This charge can have serious consequences as it can negatively impact your life and risk your liberty. You need an attorney like those from The Criminal Defense Team who have a track record of helping clients charged with DUIs or OWIs avoid serious penalties.

    How to Beat a DUI in Indiana

    If you’ve been charged with a DUI in Indiana, a reputable, experienced attorney from The Criminal Defense Team can defend you and work to help you beat the charge. You need a lawyer who thoroughly understands the law that pertains to DUIs. Your lawyer must know what evidence you need to help get your charges dismissed or your penalties reduced, as well. Some of that evidence would be difficult for you to obtain on your own. Your experienced attorney can find and use that evidence to your benefit.

    As your attorneys, we will conduct a thorough investigation of your DUI. We will investigate how the blood test was administered and confirm the results of the blood test. Errors with blood tests, breath analyzers used to measure your BAC level, and how the tests were administered raise questions about the validity of the evidence. If we find problems in any of those areas, these can be presented to weaken the prosecutor’s case against you.

    We will also review the police report and investigate whether the stop was legal. If the stop wasn’t legal in the first place, we could fight to suppress the evidence being used against you.

    While we can’t guarantee an outcome in your case, we can guarantee that we will use our decades of experience and insight into how DUI cases are prosecuted to mount a vigorous defense for you against your DUI charge.

    Consequences of a DUI Charge in Indiana

    In Indiana, if you’re pulled over by law enforcement after you’ve been drinking, you can be charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated (OWI). DUI (driving while under the influence) and OWI are often used interchangeably. A DUI charge in Indiana can carry hefty fines and imprisonment penalties. A DUI charge in Indiana is considered either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on whether you had a prior conviction for DUI or caused harm to someone else.

    If you are found driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of 0.08 grams to 0.15 grams, it is a Class C misdemeanor. A class C misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to 60 days imprisonment and up to a $500 fine. If you are found driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration level of over 0.15 grams, or if you are found driving in a way that could endanger another person (recklessly) while you’re intoxicated, it is a Class A misdemeanor. A class A misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

    If you are found driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration level of 0.08 grams or higher, and you have a prior conviction for a DUI within the last seven years, or if you are of legal drinking age and are found driving while intoxicated with a passenger in your vehicle who is under the age of 18, that is a Level 6 felony. A level 6 felony has considerable consequences. You can be imprisoned for up to 2.5 years and face a fine of up to $10,000.

    If you are found driving while intoxicated and you have a prior conviction of DUI that caused severe bodily harm or death, that is a Level 5 felony and carries a penalty of up to 6 years of imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Driving while intoxicated and seriously injuring someone is also a level 5 felony. If you kill someone while driving intoxicated or if you seriously injure someone and have a prior conviction for DUI in the past five years, it’s a Level 4 felony, and you face up to 12 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

    Contact Us Today

    If you’ve been charged with an OWI or DUI charge in Indiana, you should retain legal representation right away. Your life and liberty are on the line, and The Criminal Defense Team can help. We have decades of experience protecting our clients’ rights and vigorously defending them against DUI/OWI charges.

    Call us today at (317) 687-8326 or contact us online for a free consultation with one of our attorneys. In your consultation, we’ll review your case and let you know your best options for fighting your charge.