The alcohol industry is huge and many people drink alcohol in Philadelphia. What they drink may vary considerably from night to night and person to person, but the effects of any type of alcohol can catch up with a person. If the person consumes too much, they may start to make some poor choices. Sometimes the person may just embarrass themselves and have an awkward moment the next time they see a friend, other times they may be accused of a crime.
One crime that many people are charged with after drinking in Philadelphia is driving under the influence (DUI.) If convicted of this crime the person may face serious consequences. The consequences are more severe the more DUIs a person has, but even a first time DUI can have a major effect on a person’s life. The penalties for a first time DUI depend on the person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time of the offense.
There are three different ranges for a person’s BAC. The first is a BAC between 0.08 and 0.099 percent. If a person is convicted of a first-time DUI in this range, he or she may be placed on probation for up to six months, have to pay a $300 fine and have to attend a highway safety class. The second is between 0.10 and 0.159 percent. If the person is in this range for the first time, then his or her license may be suspended for 12 months, spend anywhere from two days to six months in jail, pay a fine between $500 to $5,000 and attend a safety class. If the person’s BAC is 0.16 percent or greater for the first time, the person may be put in jail anywhere from three days to six months and have to pay a fine between $1,000 and $5,000.
Many people receive DUIs in Philadelphia each year. The majority of those DUIs are first time DUIs. While the penalties are worse when people have multiple DUIs, the penalties for even a first time DUI can be serious. Therefore, it is important to understand the penalties and potential defenses to DUIs.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, “.08 DUI Legislation” accessed on Feb. 1, 2016
