Maryland Third Offense DUI Penalties

Depending on the timing of them and if offenses have all taken place within a ten-year period of time or even a five-year period of time, a person is looking at DUI penalties that increase as high as three years in jail and a $3,000 fine. Maryland third offense DUI penalties can be extensive. Since these charges have penalties that can be so severe, having an experienced DUI lawyer representing you is imperative.

Challenging License Suspension

If a person has the ability to challenge the suspension of their license, they should invoke that right. Bad faith is incredibly difficult to prove. As far as the actual stop of the vehicle or what if anything was visible about driving if there was any driving at all, those are things that are certainly visible to an officer to write down specifically and that is what the MVA will look at. But also, the paperwork has to be done properly. These are things that must be done with strict compliance and if they are not, a person has the ability to argue that.

The ability to apply for a restricted license falls back on what is the timing and how it relates to the priors and what the breath score is. A person still may be referred to the medical advisory board with regards to repeated offenses with alcohol-related citations.

Penalty Enhancements

The penalty enhancements and the aggravating factors that come into considering Maryland third-offense DUI penalties address what happened in this DUI.  If this DUI involved an accident and someone was injured this could have a further impact in penalty assessment, and the person’s conduct with the officer plays a role in this as well. The more polite the person is and the nicer they are, the better.

A person’s breath score is also incredibly important, be it breath or blood. Whatever that alcohol-related score is going to be, that is going to be something that is weighed by the judge as well. When looking at the enhancements and the penalties, it is not so much that a judge will enhance it and make it a larger penalty. They are not just going to raise it from one year to five years. They are not allowed to do that and they are not allowed to go higher than three if that is the qualifying maximum. But understand that the judge will look at all the intangible pieces there and then weigh them.

Obtaining counseling for alcohol issues may have an impact on a case and a determination of third offense DUI penalties in Maryland. On a third offense, it is difficult for a judge to get under a certain threshold depending on the timing of them. The closer they are, the more likely the person is going to go to jail for a while. They will keep the person sober there and that is what judges will tell them candidly.

Contact an Attorney

Having knowledge of the courthouse you are in and the state’s attorneys that you would be dealing with is important. There are certain places where a third offense does not belong. There are certain judges who just shoot and keep it in front of them if you have the ability to change it. Having that experience locally will help you if you are facing Maryland third time DUI penalties.