DUI In Indiana: Specific Aspects Unique To Offenses In Indiana
IN DWI criminal charges can be prosecuted on one of two bases: Either the state will try to demonstrate that someone was operating a motor vehicle during a time they were drunk (meaning that they sustained a loss of control of their regular thought and faculties as the result of taking alcohol and/or drugs), or by violating the per se law, meaning that they drove with a blood alcohol level of .08% or more.
Owi cases in IN are generally misdemeanor offenses, but the penalty charges in Indiana drunk driving cases can grow drastically in cases where the alcohol level is .15% or more.
Drunk driving laws in Indiana are exceptional in one particular way: Indiana DWI arrests cause the law enforcement officer picking out a choice of blood, breath or urine testing to ascertain the alcohol content of the individual arrested for drunk driving. The person arrested for drunk driving in Indiana has no right to decide on the test, nor any right to consult with legal counsel before selecting whether or not to submit to the test.
The law enforcement officer ought to revoke your license at the moment of your arrest and give you a receipt for it. You are not suspended when the police officer takes your license. The truth is, you can apply for a temporary license until your suspension. A replacement license is a great idea for identification purposes to save you humiliation when asked for I.D. Of course, once the Court or BMV tells you that you are suspended, you can no longer drive and your duplicate license is not valid for driving or identification.
In Indiana there are at least three (3) recidivist or repeat offender penalties for DUI. First, and most significant, Indiana has a habitual substance offender law that could produce up to 8 extra years in jail if filed against a defendent with two (2) or more prior violations. Second, a felony DUI in Indiana usually consists of a prior violations within 5 years of the current charge. Finally, habitual traffic violator status is enforced on DUI violators who accumulate three (3) DWI’s in a ten (10) year period. For that reason, the prior offenses can be an important part of the case. Your attorney must examine the credibility of the prior violation and figure out if post-conviction relief might eradicate one of those offenses.