HOWLAND, HESS, GUINAN, TORPEY, CASSIDY, O'CONNELL & BIRNBAUM, LLP
215-947-6240
  • Home
  • Practice Areas
    • Business & Corporate Law
    • Commercial Litigation
    • Construction Law & Litigation
    • Criminal Defense >
      • License Suspension
      • D.U.I. >
        • General Information
        • Blood Alcohol Content
        • Little Known Facts
        • Penalties
    • Elder Law
    • Estate Administration, Litigation & Will Contests
    • Family Law >
      • Custody and Visitation
      • Child Support
      • Spousal Support/Alimony
      • Divorce and Equitable Distribution
    • Personal Injury
    • Real Estate, Zoning & Land Use
    • Wills & Trusts, Estate & Tax Planning
    • Worker's Compensation
  • About Our Firm
  • Our Attorneys
    • David W. Birnbaum
    • Michael W. Cassidy
    • Thomas M. Guinan
    • Bruce D. Hess
    • John R. Howland
    • Dennis R. Meakim
    • George P. O'Connell
    • Richard I. Torpey
    • Remembering Robert G. Hess
    • Our Personnel
  • Client Resources
    • Blog
    • News & Events
  • Contact Us

What to Know When Arrested for Underage DUI in Pennsylvania

6/27/2017

0 Comments

 
In a previous post addressing the legal impact of reaching adulthood, we reviewed several legal issues surrounding an 18th birthday in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. With school out for the summer and many college students returning home late May and remaining through August, the number of drivers under the age of twenty-one (21) naturally increases. With this increase in the number of young drivers on the road comes an increased risk of impaired driving. Setting this scene, the topic of today’s post is the effect of a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) before a person’s twenty-first birthday.


DUI is one of the most common criminal charges for college-aged students (17-22) in Pennsylvania. It goes without saying that the drinking age in Pennsylvania is 21. Consumption of alcohol by anyone under 21 is illegal, and for this reason the standards are stricter and punishment often more severe for those charged with underage DUI in Pennsylvania.


For starters, while the blood alcohol content required to charge someone over the age of 21 generally begins at 0.08%, a driver under the age of 21 can be charged with driving under the influence if a chemical test shows a blood alcohol content of 0.02% or higher. Realistically, it’s nearly impossible to have just one alcohol beverage and not go over 0.02%, which is why many in the legal field refer to a charge of underage DUI as a zero tolerance offense.


As it pertains to sentencing, any driver under the age of 21 arrested for DUI in Pennsylvania is charged according to the “high” blood alcohol content rate. The impact of this categorization is that the potential punishment the underage driver faces will likely be far more severe. The potential penalties include jail time up to ninety (90) days, a $500.00 fine, and an automatic license suspension for twelve months if the driver’s blood alcohol content is 0.10% or higher. Penalties only get worse for repeat underage offenders with the potential for a multi-year license suspension and six months in jail.


In addition to the legal consequences, the collateral effects of an underage DUI conviction cannot be ignored. The damage caused by an underage DUI conviction include potential termination of an underage driver’s insurance policy (or at the very least a significant boost in the monthly premiums), significant damage to a college student’s academic standing and educational progress, and potential issues with a student’s financial aid if this student is on scholarship.


Finally, a conviction for DUI will give the underage driver a criminal record. Unless and until new legislation currently making its way through the Pennsylvania House and Senate clears, this record will be accessible by anyone who lawfully runs a background check on you, including prospective employers or administrators at colleges and universities.
If you or your child have been charged with an underage DUI in Pennsylvania, assistance from a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney is critical. As outlined above, not taking this charge seriously can have dramatic and far-reaching consequences. The Criminal Defense Attorneys at Howland Hess O’Connell, led by Michael W. Cassidy, Esq., have extensive experience and knowledge in assisting clients through these matters. If any of the above information applies to you, call for a free consultation at (215)-947-6240 or contact us online to schedule a meeting.



Legal Disclaimer: The contents of this website are intended solely for informational purposes. They neither constitute nor imply an official legal opinion on behalf of Howland, Hess, Guinan, Torpey, Cassidy and O’Connell nor do they establish an attorney-client relationship of any kind. Howland Hess O’Connell encourages all readers to seek and consult professional counsel before acting upon the information contained on this site.

0 Comments

    Categories

    All
    About Howland Hess O'Connell
    About Us
    Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition
    Act 33
    Age
    Anti-Texting Law
    Arbitration
    ARD
    Ban The Box
    Business
    Business Entity Sued
    Business Law
    Civil
    Color
    Contract Law
    Contractor Subcontractor
    Corporate Law
    Criminal Defense
    Criminal Law
    Criminal Records
    Drowsy Driving
    DUI
    DUI Checkpoint
    DUI Crackdown
    Education Law
    Elder Law
    Employee
    Employer
    Employment Discrimination
    Employment Law
    Environmental Protection
    Estate Planning
    Expungement
    First Time Offender
    Howland Hess O'Connell
    Identity Theft
    Ignition Interlock System
    License Suspension
    Local News
    Motor Vehicle
    Motor Vehicle Accident
    National Origin
    Neighbor Disputes
    Operation Orange Squeeze
    Penndot
    Pennsylvania DUI
    Power Of Attorney
    Property Law
    Race
    Real Estate Transaction
    Religion
    Sealing
    Sex
    Social Security
    Social Security Disability
    SSDI
    Traffic Violation
    Underage Drinking
    Underage DUI
    Workers' Compensation

    RSS Feed

The law office of Howland, Hess, Guinan, Torpey, Cassidy, O'Connell & Birnbaum, LLP is located in Huntingdon Valley, Southeastern Pennsylvania, and serves clients in Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County, including the towns of: Abington, Ambler, Blue Bell, Cheltenham, Conshohocken, Doylestown, Elkins Park, Glenside, Hatboro, Hilltown, Horsham, Huntingdon Valley, Jenkintown, King of Prussia, Lansdale Springfield, Montgomeryville, New Britain, Norristown, Plymouth Meeting, Upper Dublin, Upper Moreland, Warminster, Warrington and Willow Grove.

The attorneys at Howland, Hess, Guinan, Torpey, Cassidy, O'Connell & Birnbaum, LLP also serve clients throughout Southern New Jersey including Atlantic County, Burlington County, Camden County, Cape May County, Cumberland County, Gloucester County, and Salem County.

Practice Areas

Business & Corporate Law
Commercial Litigation
Construction Law & Litigation​
Criminal Defense
D.U.I.
Elder Law
Estate Administration, Litigation and Will Contests
Family Law
License Suspension
Personal Injury
Real Estate, Zoning & Land Use
Wills & Trusts, Estate & Tax Planning
Worker's Compensation

Sitemap

Home
Practice Areas
About Our Firm
Our Attorneys
Resources
News & Events
Contact Us

Contact Us

Contact us Today!

Connect with Us

Our Attorneys

David W. Birnbaum
Michael W. Cassidy
Thomas M. Guinan
Bruce D. Hess
John R. Howland
Dennis R. Meakim
George P. O'Connell
Richard I. Torpey
Remembering Robert G. Hess

Find Us - Directions

Howland, Hess, Guinan, Torpey, Cassidy, O'Connell & Birnbaum, LLP.
2444 Huntingdon Pike
Bethayres, PA 19006

Phone: 215-947-6240
Fax: 215-947-6254

info@howlandhess.com
Howland, Hess, Guinan, Torpey, Cassidy, O'Connell & Birnbaum, LLP. All rights reserved. Review our disclaimer.
Powered by Toodles Creative Media