If you have been charged with a Colorado DUI there are three things that you need to consider:

1) You may only have 7 days to save your license.              The DMV may require that you schedule a hearing with 7 days of getting your DUI to determine if your license will be suspended.  Obtaining legal help today to protect your license is imperative.

2)Take the charge seriously.
A conviction for a Colorado DUI will have long lasting consequences. A criminal record can affect your employment, your future and your personal freedom.

3) Hire a Colorado DUI Lawyer.
Understanding the Colorado DUI laws and courtroom proceedings can be a challenge. The Westerfield Law Firm focuses on DUIs, which can make a difference in the outcome of your case.

DUI/DWAI defendants in Colorado can be charged with DUI, or DWAI. In Colorado DWAI, which stands for Driving While Ability Impaired, is a lesser-offense, where the person's blood alcohol level (BAC) is .05 or higher. Colorado drunk driving arrests can relate to driving under the influence, or violation of the "per se" laws.

Colorado DUI per se charges are slightly different. The DUI per se charge is brought against those arrested for DUI who provide a breath or blood alcohol sample of .08% or higher. It does not matter what the driving pattern is like, or whether the person arrested performed Field Sobriety Tests with textbook precision. It is a charge that is based purely on body chemistry.

A DWAI charge is similar to a DUI, except that to be convicted of DWAI, the prosecution is only required to prove that the defendant was affected to the slightest degree, so that the person is less able than he or she ordinarily would have been to exercise clear judgment.

Colorado, like many other states, imposes both criminal penalties and administrative driver's license penalties for a Colorado DUI conviction. That is why it is critical that you contact our DUI expert at the Westerfield Law Firm right away, to protect your rights both in court and with the Colorado DMV.

DUI arrests of persons from other states will still require a DMV Hearing to protect their driving privileges. Colorado is a member of the Interstate Driver's License Compact, which shares information about DUI and DWAI convictions and driver's license actions with other member states. There are 45 states that belong to this compact.

As to prior convictions for purposes of increasing punishment for a Colorado DUI or DWAI, prior DUI or DWAI convictions remain on record for a defendant's lifetime for criminal sentencing purposes, five years for DMV in considering lengths of Suspensions and Revocations for repeat alcohol incidents, and 7 years for Habitual Traffic Offender designation.

The maximum punishment for a DUI in Colorado is one year in jail, a $1000 fine, 96 hours of useful public service, an alcohol evaluation, an alcohol education course, and up to 86 hours of alcohol therapy. A BAC over .20 requires 10 days jail. Second and third offenses carry higher maximums and require jail. Typically, a first-offense DUI will include minimum punishments of unsupervised probation for 1 or 2 years, 48 hours of useful public service, an alcohol evaluation, an alcohol education course, and fines, fees, and court costs amounting to approximately $500. You must also abstain from drinking for 1 year.

However, a skilled Colorado DUI/DWAI defense lawyer can help you avoid or minimize all potential consequences of a drunk driving arrest in Colorado. If you, or someone you care about, has been charged with DUI, drunk driving, DWAI, or any drinking and driving offense in Colorado, contact our DUI lawyer for a free consultation.

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If you would like to take the time to read over the Colorado DUI statute, click here.

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