DUI Lawyers in Las Vegas, NV

If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence, it’s important for you to try and dismiss the charges or reduce the charges to reckless driving. Driving under the influence carries a variety of penalties that are more serious than the sentences for reckless driving, so successfully reducing your charges can be beneficial. Before trying to reduce your sentence, it’s important to understand the consequences of driving under the influence, and what factors control your ability to get the sentence reduced.

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What Is Considered Driving Under the Influence in Nevada?

In the state of Nevada, driving under the influence is a criminal charge that is taken very seriously by prosecutors. A person found behind the wheel of a vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level at or above .08% will be arrested immediately and taken into custody.

The arrest may have stemmed from a chemical blood test, breath test, or even a field sobriety test administered by a police officer. No matter what the driving force in the arrest may have been, it is important to involve a competent Las Vegas criminal defense attorney to protect your rights and defend your case.

Fighting DUI Charges

If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence, you should always try to have the charges dismissed. If you can’t get them dismissed, the next best thing is to reduce the charge for reckless driving. Fighting your DUI charges gives you a chance to reduce the severity of your sentencing significantly. Here are some benefits of reducing your charges for reckless driving:

• Better criminal record: If you get convicted of a DUI offense, then your criminal record may cause problems when applying for a job. Because a DUI will show up on background checks, it can be difficult for people who have been convicted to find employment after their offense.
• Lesser penalties on subsequent offenses: Another reason to fight your charges is that the penalties for DUIs increase in severity with every offense. If you get convicted of driving under the influence, and then face another DUI charge, later on, the second charge is a misdemeanor that carries more impactful punishments like jail time and a mandatory suspension of your license. If you successfully fight your first charge, then you will not be as vulnerable to subsequent sentencing.
• Your record gets sealed earlier: If you’re convicted of driving under the influence, then it will be recorded in your criminal record for seven years. Having a mark like this on your record can lead to a variety of different difficult situations, so it’s beneficial to reduce the charges of reckless driving. Reckless driving convictions only stay on your record for a year, so they can be much easier to deal with.
• No license revocation: if you’re convicted of reckless driving instead of driving under the influence, then you won’t risk having your license revoked. Because the court is not able to revoke your license for the lesser crime of reckless driving, reducing your charges can help prevent you from dealing with this inconvenience.

These are just a few reasons that fighting your charges is beneficial. It’s also helpful to reduce your crime to reckless driving because of the social stigma associated with driving under the influence. To see if your case can qualify for a reduction in the charges, it can be helpful to read about what causes charges to be dismissed.

Can DUI Charges Be Dismissed?

DUI charges in Nevada can be dismissed if the facts of the case do not support them. A court might decide to dismiss a DUI case in certain cases, such as when the officer did not have reasonable suspicion to pull you over. Charges can also be dismissed if there was no probable cause if the officer did not administer the field sobriety test properly if the breathalyzer was not calibrated correctly, if you had a medical condition that interfered with the test, or if you reached the legal blood alcohol content limit after you had already stopped driving.

If you can prove that any of these conditions exist in your case, it’s possible to convince the court to dismiss your DUI charges. Nevada prosecutors are required to pursue DUI convictions, but when their case is too weak, prosecutors are free to use their discretion to dismiss the case from the court.

What Affects DUI Charges?

If you’re unable to get your charges dismissed or reduced, the severity of your sentence can depend on a few factors. One thing that the court considers when sentencing DUI cases is whether there was a death or injury as a result of your actions. If death or injury occurred as a result of driving under the influence, then the offense is considered a category B felony.

These felonies carry a range of sentences that include two to 20 years in prison and fines ranging between $2,000 and $5,000. You may also be required to attend a victim impact panel, and the court might install a breath interlock device in your car for one to three years after release. Previous DUI convictions can also affect your sentence.

Contact Us Today

With the many negative impacts of a criminal conviction, you cannot afford to face your charges without the help of a Las Vegas DUI lawyer. We are committed to providing clients with exceptional legal services, and you can be confident that your case will receive aggressive effective representation.

To fight for your freedoms and challenge your charges, enlist the support of a proven team – call De Castroverde Criminal & Immigration Lawyers at (702) 805-2694 or fill out our online contact form today!