DMV Consequences for Alcohol and Drug-Related Driving Offenses - Criminal Defense Lawyers Denver, CO - Newell and Decker
If you have been charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI), Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID), or Underage Drunk Driving (UDD), not only are you facing possible criminal consequences (hyperlink), but you are also facing the loss of your driving privilege.
The same alleged act of alcohol or drug-related driving initiates two parallel proceedings – one in county court, before a county court judge or jury, and one at the DMV, before an administrative law judge. In the latter proceeding, you have the right to a hearing at which you can contest the revocation of your license. However, you must request the hearing within seven days of the offense, or, if you took a blood test, within seven days of receiving the letter informing you of your blood test results.
The DMV hearing is a very important stage in any alcohol or drug-related driving matter because it can directly and immediately impact your driving privileges. Further, at such a hearing there may be viable defenses, depending on the facts in your case, that can save your license from revocation. However, if you fail to request a DMV hearing, or if you lose at such a hearing, you may face a revocation period of up to five years. The exact DMV consequences faced in your case will vary depending on a number of factors, including your age, how many prior convictions or revocations you have, and other factors unique to your criminal and driving history.
To fully determine the exact DMV consequences you are facing, contact Newell & Decker now for a free consultation and case evaluation. If you have been charged with DUI, DWAI, DUID, or UDD you are not only facing criminal charges, you are facing the loss of your mobility, and all that goes along with it. It is therefore in your interest to be represented by a Newell & Decker attorney at your DMV hearing to maximize your chances of success at this critical stage.