Whether you were charged with a summary offense of underage drinking or a more serious misdemeanor or felony offense, you deserve to know your rights, your options, and how to reach the most successful resolution in your case. At JD Law in State College, Pennsylvania, we will take the time to analyze the facts, identify any weaknesses in the case brought against you, and work aggressively to minimize the impact of the criminal allegation on your life. Attorney Jason Dunkle takes every criminal allegation seriously. He truly understands the adverse consequences that can arise for defendants, including students at Penn State-University Park, Penn State-Altoona, Lock Haven and Juniata.
State College DUI Lawyer In a typical Pennsylvania DUI case, the police conduct a traffic stop, request that the person exit the vehicle, administer field sobriety tests, possibly issue a breath test at the scene, and then make the decision to arrest the DUI suspect and transport them for either a blood or breath test to determine blood alcohol concentration. The person is then released with few or any instructions as to what will happen in the future. Some people believe that they may have avoided DUI charges, but others expect that charges will be filed; they simply do not know when. If the test results show that the alcohol concentration is above the legal limit or that drugs are present in the person’s blood, charges are almost assuredly going to be filed. Pennsylvania DUI Convictions Result in Severe Sentences Any Pennsylvania DUI conviction can have a serious impact on your finances, rights and freedoms, and your future employment opportunities. A person convicted of driving under the influence often faces penalties that include a suspension of Pennsylvania driving privileges, significant fines and costs, and even jail time; a DUI conviction can have collateral consequences, such as decreased marketability for employment purposes, an inability to be professionally licensed, and possible prohibition on the right to carry a firearm. In DUI cases, there are mandatory minimum sentences that can generally only be avoided or reduced by fighting and beating the DUI charge or through negotiations with the prosecutor. Some first-time DUI offenders are able to minimize the impact of the charge by participating in the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program. Other programs such as Intermediate Punishment, commonly referred to as in-home detention, and Occupational Limited Licenses (OLL) may be used to alleviate other penalties stemming from a DUI conviction. Experienced and Successful Driving Under the Influence Attorney Based upon the severe consequences associated with a DUI conviction, it is critically important that you have your case reviewed by an experienced Pennsylvania DUI attorney. State College criminal defense lawyer Jason Dunkle has represented people charged with drug and alcohol- results-signrelated DUIs, DUI refusal of chemical test cases, and DUIs involving accidents that result in assault and homicide charges. Not only does he have experience, Attorney Dunkle is also successful in many different types of cases and different phases of the criminal system, and you can review his numerous Success Stories. For additional information that may answer your DUI questions, check out the DUI Question and Answer page.