The State of Pennsylvania is one of the states in America that has a “per se” law associated with DUI charges. This means that any evidence that a person operated a vehicle when his or her blood alcohol content was above .08% is enough to convict him or her of the offense in a court of law. Penalties differ depending on the alcohol levels in the system of the offender, and jury trials are permitted only on improved misdemeanors. There are three levels of DUI offenses in the state. If your BAC is .08 to .99, you face six months of probation, a three hundred dollar fine, and a driving safety school. If your BAC falls within the range of .10 to .159, expect to lose your license for six months, spend up to twelve months in prison, and pay up to five thousand dollars. If your BAC is .16 or higher you will face additional punishments that are more severe in nature.

While you could refuse to undergo chemical testing to determine your BAC, you will face the immediate suspension of your license and fines.

What to Do

First, you will need to get in touch with a reputable Pennsylvania DUI or DWI lawyer to help you clear your name. When you feel you have been charged wrongly with a DUI or falsely accused of a DWI, you will need to have a lawyer clear your name in court. You will need to check out the background of the Pennsylvania DUI lawyer you are planning on hiring to assure yourself that he or she is competent enough to clear you of all charges. Looking at his or her records in terms of the DUI and DWI cases you lawyer has tried will give you an inkling as to how well the firm and the lawyers in the firm perform in court. Look into your lawyer’s experience in the field as well as his or her level of knowledge about cases like yours. Finally, talk to your lawyer about his or her fees. You need to know what the required retainer fee is for him or her to consider your case as well as what the other involved costs may be. You will need to be sure you can afford to pay your lawyer before you allow him or her to begin defending you.

After you have chosen the right attorney, you will need to recount to him or her what happened when you were charged and arrested for DUI or DWI. The events that happened on your DUI or DWI arrest will have a bearing on whether or not you will be cleared. Were you harassed? Were your rights violated in any way? Your Pennsylvania DUI lawyer should be able to find ways to get you out of your predicament with the information you give him or her about the incident.

When a person is charged and found guilty of DUI or driving under the influence of any intoxicating substance like alcohol or even drugs, he or she will be scarred for life. The conviction will show on his or her records and every time he or she is in violation of the law, traffic or otherwise, penalties and fines will be higher than for a person who does not have a guilty DUI charge in his or her records. Moreover, that conviction can be seen by employers, credit bureaus, and landlords.