The Zero Tolerance Law Means

What Zero-Tolerance Laws Mean For Minors

Drinking and driving is unsafe at any age. It is specially risky if you lot are under 21 years old. That's because constabulary enforcement and prosecutors in Virginia have matters seriously when minors are caught operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. Unlike the country police prohibiting adults from driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, aught-tolerance laws impose a much lower legal limit.

Underage drinking is a criminal criminal offense that is a Grade 1 misdemeanor. You could face costly fines and other consequences if convicted. Add driving under the influence to the charges, and the penalties could increase significantly, especially if you injured or killed someone in an accident.

Virginia's Zero-Tolerance Police

The nix-tolerance police in Virginia prohibits a person under 21 years old from operating a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol illegally. If you're a pocket-sized nether 21, you lot likewise can't possess, purchase, or swallow alcohol.

You are in violation of this police force if your blood alcohol concentration is 0.02% or more or the results of a breath test show 0.02 or higher per 210 liters of breath only less than 0.08 grams.

Penalties for Underage DUI

Driving under the influence as someone under 21 years old is a Class ane misdemeanor. If bedevilled, you face immediate suspension of your driver's license for upwards to one year. The penalty could besides include a mandatory fine of at least $500 or a minimum of 50 hours of community service.

You might exist eligible for a restricted license during the suspension term but must attend an Alcohol Safety Action Plan. This license would allow you to drive to and from school, piece of work, court, and other necessary places.

Unfortunately, underage DUI charges often accompany additional charges. If you were illegally consuming alcohol, you might accept committed other offenses, such as:

Using a fake ID to buy alcohol
Possession of alcohol as a minor
Child endangerment if other minors were in the vehicle you lot were driving
Providing other minors with alcohol

If you had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher, you could face the same penalties as an adult driver. They include:

Fine between $250 and $2,500
Up to one year in jail
License suspension for up to one year
Installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle for at to the lowest degree six months
Successful completion of an Alcohol Safety Action Program

In Virginia, refusing to submit to a chemic test is a civil criminal offence. If you were arrested for underage DUI and refused to take a breath or blood test, the court could append driving privileges for a twelvemonth. However, more severe penalties exist if this is a subsequent offense.

Insurance rates typically increase after a DUI conviction. A confidence like this can remain on someone'south driving record for eleven years, meaning you could exist responsible for paying expensive rates for many years.

Besides criminal and civil penalties, you could face additional punishments if you're an underage college student. Different universities and colleges have policies regarding driving under the influence of alcohol. If they choose to enforce these policies, they could append you lot from schoolhouse, withhold your scholarship money, or remove you from sports you participate in.

Contact a Richmond DUI Defense Lawyer

If you were arrested or charged with underage DUI, yous need an experienced and dedicated Richmond DUI defense force attorney on your side. Fighting these charges alone will be a challenge. Yous deserve an opportunity to defend yourself in court and have the best chance at securing your liberty and futurity.

At Bain Sheldon, we have been fighting for the rights of minors and adults facing criminal charges since 2006. Our team volition work difficult to get your charges reduced or dismissed. Call us at (804) 282-8625 or reach out to us online for a gratuitous and confidential consultation with one of our knowledgeable attorneys today.