West Palm Beach underage DUI charges for minors are serious offenses that could have real repercussions for individuals. These charges could follow an underage individual when they try to apply for jobs and internships. They could damage your reputation and keep you from moving forward, which is why it is important to work with a skilled attorney. If you or your child have been charged with an underage DUI offense, it is vital that you retain the services of a qualified underage DUI lawyer. A capable attorney could devote the time and resources necessary to achieve a positive outcome for you.
Laws Regarding Underage DUI Offenses
There is no Florida juvenile traffic code. If a person is a juvenile, under the age of 18, and they were driving, they are considered as an adult and every violation is the same charge as if they were an adult who got the charge. If a person is under the age of 18 and they are pulled over for speeding, they are going to get the same speeding ticket as an adult would get.
If a person is under the age of 18 and they are pulled over for suspicion of DUI and they get arrested for DUI, they are getting arrested for DUI in the same way that their mother, father, brother and sister, grandfather, uncle are going to get charged with a DUI. Many people do not realize that West Palm Beach underage DUI charges for minors are taken so seriously because driving is considered an adult activity. That is a privilege and because it is an adult activity, juveniles are held to a higher standard.
BAC Limits for Minors in West Palm Beach
The BAC limits for minors in West Palm Beach in regards to a DUI are the same as they are for adults. In order to prove a DUI, the state must prove that the underage driver or minor has a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or above or that the underage driver or minor’s normal faculties were impaired.
The exception is that is there is a gray area in between getting a DUI and having any alcohol on board. Anyone from the age of 21 and below in the State is not allowed to consume or possess any alcohol whatsoever. Florida has what is called a zero tolerance law. If a person under the age of 21 is pulled over and has alcohol on their breath, law enforcement has a right to ask that person on the spot to submit to a breath test or portable breath test.
If that result shows a 0.02 or higher, that person under the age of 21 who blows a 0.02 or higher is going to be subject to a six months driver’s license suspension simply for having alcohol in their system. If they are way below the legal limit, only a quarter of a legal limit, it doesn’t matter because they are under the age of 21 so they are not allowed to have any alcohol whatsoever. If a person is caught and if they are tested and if they test positive to a degree of 0.02 or higher, a person under the age of 18, while they are not getting a DUI charge for 0.02, they would get a driver’s license suspension for that.
Expectations of the DUI Case Process
A DUI case for a minor is heard in West Palm Beach in the county court assuming that is a simple DUI and no accident, injuries and no prior offenses. It is the same courtroom, same courthouse, same court, same judge, and the same prosecutors as someone who is over the age of 18. Traffic crimes are held in county court; there is no juvenile code for traffic so it is held in the adult court in the county court.
West Palm Beach underage DUI charges for minors are treated just as seriously as adult DUI charges and could have wide-ranging and long-term implications that this young person will be facing for the rest of their life.
A person under the age of 18 should expect to be handled with good care to make sure that there are no other alternatives to resolve the case other than having a permanent record because an attorney is going to strive to make sure that a person who is under the age of 18 who has not had the chance to finish school or get a job or establish a career or a family, that that person is not permanently stained from a DUI conviction on their record.
Value of a West Palm Beach Underage DUI Attorney
If you face West Palm Beach underage DUI charges for minors, an attorney can try and minimize the situation as best as they can while being focused on the person’s record and the consequences that something like this is going to have on a young person’s lifestyle and livelihood going forward. A lawyer may attempt to do everything they can to prevent that from happening to someone under the age of 18 as they would for an adult, but for someone under the age of 18, the consequences can be far more devastating and long-reaching and long-term compared to an adult who is in their 50s or 60s who already have their family and career in place. Work with a determined DUI attorney that could fight for a positive outcome for you.
