DUI Penalties in Baltimore

The following is information on penalties for driving under the influence in Baltimore including the penalties for a first time DUI defense and how heavily these laws are enforced in the state. If you have been charged with DUI or another related charge such as DWI, contact a Baltimore DUI lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case.

First Time DUI Penalties in Baltimore

For a first time driving under the influence charge the maximum penalty is one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, and 12 points on your license. If it is a driving while impaired charge rather than DUI, the maximum is 60 days, a $500 fine, and 8 points on your license. Of course the maximum penalty does not always have to be given and it can be reduced as long as you are careful and take the right steps. On the other hand if the judge really wants to penalize you, it could be a problem.

Diversion Programs

Baltimore does not have a diversion program at the moment. So this is an issue because you obviously can’t do it, however, it may be deferred to something like an in-patient treatment clinic depending on what the judge orders.

Minor in In The Vehicle

If a minor is in the vehicle the penalties are going to be enhanced. The judge is going to be able to see that you had a minor in your car at the time of your DUI and instead of an A level violation with a maximum of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, they can now ask for enhanced penalties. Beyond this it simply doesn’t look very good, since as an attorney you are trying to present your client in the best way possible to try and reduce the penalties. Having a child in the car makes the situation more complex and certainly hurts your case.

Law Enforcement

Yes, absolutely. Just look at DUI checkpoints, they are costly to the state and generally don’t yield many results but we are still doing them. Part of the reason is simply because then we can say, “we setup this checkpoint and we stopped and found 6 cars.” However it also shows the length that the county is willing to go just to catch a small number of people driving under the influence.

DUI is a public safety issue that has affected a large number of people and for that reason Baltimore takes driving under the influence very seriously and will not let you get off with just a slap on the wrist.