DWI in considered a serious offense in California especially if you are a minor. If your blood alcohol concentration level exceeds the legal limit, you can be arrested for suspected DWI. The high BAC leads to reduced mental and motor reactions which inhibit your ability to control the vehicle effectively. This further increases the chances of you making a bad judgment which can lead to serious accidents causing harm to the people on the road as well as in your vehicle. It can lead to severe injuries and deaths. In California, similar to the statistics indicated across the US, DWI is considered to be the single largest cause of motor vehicle related accidents leading to fatalities and is considered to be at a high of 40% to 50% of the total number of motor vehicle related deaths every year.

Penalties against DWI for drivers under 21

If you are involved in a DWI in California and you are under 21, you will face serious charges and penalties which might show their effects for a long period of time. When charged with DWI and you are a minor, 2 points will be added to your driving record and your license will be suspended or revoked. Revocation is done for a period of one year after the first dwi conviction with a fine of $100. If you are convicted for the second time within one year, the fine is $200. You will also not get the Restricted License for second or subsequent offenses. The fine amount is also more for the third time and is about $300.

If you are a minor and your BAC is only 0.01% while arrested, the officer will issue a temporary license for a period of 30 days after suspending your license and may send you to the juvenile authorities or your parents. However, if your BAC is over 0.05%, your license will be suspended. You will also be detained till you are handed over to the juvenile authorities or your parents. For BAC 0.08% or more, you will be arrested immediately.

If you also have open bottles of alcohol in your vehicle, it will be impounded for a period of 30 days, the court will put a fine of $1,000 and your driving privilege will be suspended for a period of one year or may instruct the DMV is delay issue of your first license by one year.

California DWI attorney

A California DWI attorney can help you getting out of these charges and save you from all the drudgeries. This is important as you need to understand the California criminal court system and act quickly to protect your California driving license from being suspended. A skilled California criminal defense attorney who concentrates on DWI cases can navigate the system as they understand the way the court works and the DWI laws and help in ensuring that your rights are protected.

Getting arrested for DWI in California can have life-changing consequences which can be avoided with the help of your criminal defense attorney who has experience in defending both misdemeanor and felony DWI charges even if you are a minor. He can also provide you with a free DWI consultation and develop a proven strategy for your defense so that the negative consequences are reduced to a minimum which includes as jail time, loss of driving privileges, fines and penalties. This way your future will be intact. However, you need avoid getting into such a situation again.