Second DUI Penalties Reduced Significantly

An Allegheny County man was recently charged with a second DUI, driving under suspension, driving without a license, and failure to use a seat belt. At the time of the alleged offense, a police officer noticed a burnt out registration on the man’s car. He was also swerving all over the road, almost hitting the curb several times. The officer pulled the man over and asked the driver to put the window down. He noticed a strong smell of alcohol. When he was asked for his license and registration, the man looked blankly at the officer.

The officer had the man take field sobriety tests, which he failed; he then agreed to a chemical test, with his BAC coming in at .163. A DUI involving a BAC of .16 or higher comes with steep penalties, including 90 days in jail, an 18-month license suspension, and a minimum $1,500 fine.

The man was going through a rough time. In his mid-30s, he was diagnosed bipolar and had recently lost his job as a machinist. Jail time would prevent him from finding new employment or moving on with his life. He sought out the help of the Pittsburgh DUI lawyers at Worgul, Sarna & Ness, Criminal Defense Attorneys, LLC to help him. We successfully negotiated in three court appearances for his BAC to be brought down by one tier due to 5 percent deviation in testing results. The man avoided the mandatory 90 days of jail time and had to serve only 30 days of house arrest.

The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.