Any conviction of driving while intoxicated in Minnesota is a serious matter, so being charged with this offense calls for hiring DWI Attorneys in Brainerd. A firm such as Carlson & Jones provides experienced legal representation. A convicted person faces a steep fine, possible jail time, driver’s license suspension and a significant hike in automotive insurance rates. Some factors make the situation even worse. In Minnesota, a blood alcohol level of .20 or higher or multiple violations within 10 years, for instance, lead to harsher minimum penalties. A person who has been charged with DWI, particularly if additional factors are involved, needs the assistance of DWI Attorneys in Brainerd.
Another act that is viewed as an aggravating factor is driving under the influence while also having a child of age 15 or younger in the vehicle. This may be viewed as child endangerment. The situation escalates if the driver has caused an accident and if anyone was injured, or if he has a previous DWI conviction within the past 10 years. Judges have the option to impose more severe penalties than the minimum mandatory penalties. DWI Attorneys in Brainerd use specific methods to convince judges to only impose the minimum sentence.
Sometimes an individual has made a decision he thought would be a safe one in regard to transporting a young teenager or pre-teen. Perhaps this adult and his wife were out at a party until the wee hours of the morning, and now somebody needs to bring the babysitter home. The couple might figure that driving a 15-year-old to her house a mile or two away would not be a problem. However, if the adult drives erratically, rolls through a stop sign, drives faster than the speed limit or runs a red light, a police officer can signal him to pull over. Now the circumstances become serious if there is good reason for the law enforcement official to believe the driver is drunk and sees that he has a young teen in the car as well.
A first DWI offense in Minnesota is a misdemeanor, but having a youngster in the vehicle raises the offense to a gross misdemeanor. A judge has the option of sentencing the driver to a maximum of one year in jail. A person charged with this type of offense needs skilled DWI Attorneys in Brainerd to provide excellent legal representation.
