Pascagoula DUI Attorney
If you find yourself charged with a DUI in Pascagoula, Mississippi, you need the legal support and guidance of a trusted and highly skilled Pascagoula DUI lawyer. A conviction of these charges can come with serious consequences that could impact the rest of your life. In these trying times, you deserve to have someone on your side who is willing to fight to ensure your rights are respected and upheld in court. At Miller Law Offices, we are here to do just that.
Most individuals who are arrested under the suspicion of driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol often feel stressed, worried, and uncertain about their future. These are all understandable feelings and at Miller Law Offices, our qualified defense attorney strives to ensure you receive the care and representation you deserve. Let our team protect your rights, freedoms, and future and ensure that you have a full understanding of the situation you face.
What Constitutes a DUI in the State of Mississippi?
In the state of Mississippi, it is illegal to drive while impaired by or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. State prosecutors are quick to convict individuals facing these charges as these situations are taken quite seriously, especially in cases where the alleged impaired driving has caused an accident in which an innocent victim has become injured.
In Pascagoula, Mississippi, a DUI can occur when an individual is pulled over in a traffic stop and fails a field sobriety test due to a member of law enforcement acting out of the suspicion that the individual is driving impaired. Common signs of impairment can include:
- Poor motor skills
- Jerky or sudden, strange movements
- Poor balance
- Smell of alcohol on the suspected individual
- Watery and bloodshot eyes
An individual will also be charged with a DUI in the state of Mississippi when the suspect takes and fails a blood alcohol content test. In the state of Mississippi, if an individual’s blood alcohol content is at 0.08% or higher, it does not matter if they are showing signs of impairment or not; they can be arrested for drunk driving by law enforcement officers.
If you or someone you love has been arrested on either of the DUI charges listed above, you need the legal assistance of a DUI attorney who can come alongside you and fight for the rights you have under state and federal law. These rights include the right to remain silent, the right to an attorney, the right to challenge all field sobriety or blood alcohol content tests, and the right to a fair and just trial. Miller Law Offices can ensure these rights are upheld.
Miller Law Offices: Your DUI Defense in Pascagoula
At Miller Law Offices, DUI defense attorney Kyle Miller is passionate about ensuring that his clients receive the strong and solid defense that they deserve. With years of experience at his back, he is prepared to put his resources to the task and work diligently to clear you of the charges you find yourself facing. Having a DUI defense attorney like Kyle Miller on your side can make all the difference in the outcome of your case.
He can work to protect your legal rights by reviewing the case the prosecution has brought against you, requesting copies of the prosecution’s documentation and evidence, determining the facts necessary to build you a solid defense, helping to educate you on your legal rights and options, resolving your case through negotiations, or taking your case to trial. With Miller Law Offices on your side, you can rest easy knowing the right people are in your corner.
Common Penalties for a Pascagoula, MS DUI Conviction
In the state of Mississippi, the penalties you might face for a DUI conviction typically depend on how many DUIs you have been convicted of in the past. These penalties can range in severity, which is why it is imperative that you hire an attorney who has the experience required to fight for your rights and freedoms and who can negotiate with the prosecution for a charge reduction or dismissal. Common penalties for a DUI conviction in Pascagoula can include:
- First DUI Conviction: When an individual is charged with their first DUI conviction, they can face a fine that totals no less than $250 and no more than $1,000. They can likewise find themselves facing an imprisonment period of no more than 48 hours. They may also be required to attend certain alcohol safety education programs.
- Second DUI Conviction: If an individual is charged with their second DUI conviction within a five-year time period, they can face fines of no less than $600 and no more than $1,500. They can also face an imprisonment period lasting no less than five days and no more than six months and may also be required to take part in community service lasting no less than ten days and no more than six months.
- Third DUI Conviction: When an individual is convicted of a DUI a third time within five years, this individual will be charged with a felony charge and can face fines totaling no less than $2,000 and no more than $5,000. They can also face jail time lasting anywhere from one to five years.
- Fourth DUI Conviction: If the individual faces a fourth DUI conviction, regardless of the time period in which their convictions took place, they can be charged to pay fines totaling no less than $3,000 and no more than $10,000 and can serve jail time lasting anywhere from two to 10 years. This offense is charged as a felony.
FAQs
If you have a non-CDL driver’s license, your license will be suspended for a period of 120 days. However, there are steps you can take to continue driving after you have been convicted. First, you must have an ignition-interlock device (breathalyzer) installed on any vehicle that you will be operating throughout the 120-day period. Next, you must obtain an interlock-restricted license from your local DMV. Once you have had both the ignition-interlock system and the interlock-restricted license for 120 days, you will be eligible to have your regular driver’s license reinstated.
If you have a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License) your license will be suspended for a period of 1 year.
For individuals over the age of 21, the legal limit is .08 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). For those under the age of 21, the legal limit is .02 Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). However, you may still be arrested and charged with DUI even though your BAC is under the legal limit!
Yes. In Mississippi, an individual may be charged with Driving Under the Influence for any substance that has impaired the individual’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. This includes but is not limited to any drug or controlled substance listed under the Mississippi Controlled Substances Law. Common examples include Marijuana, Xanax, Cocaine, and Methamphetamine.
Yes. You may refuse any test offered to you by law enforcement. However, if you refuse to submit a breath sample for the Intoxilyzer 8000, your license will be administratively suspended for a period of 90 days. The Intoxilyzer 8000 is typically offered at a police station or detention facility after you have been arrested for Driving Under the Influence. If you wish to contest the 90-day license suspension, you must file an appeal in the appropriate court within 10 days of receiving the suspension letter from the Department of Public Safety.
Yes. A golf cart is considered a “vehicle” under Mississippi Law. Other examples of vehicles include 4-wheelers, side-by-sides, go-karts, and riding lawnmowers.
Yes, however, you would be charged according to the “BUI”, or Boating Under the Influence, statute. Much like a motor vehicle, an individual may not operate a boat while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The legal Blood Alcohol Concentration(BAC) for operating a boat in Mississippi is .08%.
Contact an Experienced Pascagoula DUI Lawyer Today
If you or someone you love has been charged with a DUI in Pascagoula, Mississippi, you need the legal assistance of a skilled and experienced DUI defense attorney who can review the details of your case and help determine the correct course of legal action to take to ensure your rights and freedoms are protected. Contact Miller Law Offices today and allow us to help you.
