Fort Collins DUI Lawyer
322 Colorado Driving Under the Influence Arrests Over Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend meant a crack down on DUI and DWAI arrests, resulting in 322 arrests. Read more about it here.

Driving Under the Influence, or DUI, is charged in Fort Collins and Larimer County when a person operates a motor vehicle while affected by alcohol or one or more drugs. A common practice for law enforcement is to up their DUI patrols over holiday weekends. This past Memorial Day weekend was no exception. There were a reported 322 total DUI and DWAI arrests over the holiday weekend across Colorado, the highest of which came from the Colorado State Patrol, Denver Police Department, Colorado Springs Police Department, and El Paso County Sheriff. If you were caught up in this statewide movement to crack down on impaired driving, contact our firm to help you today.

Larimer County DUI Attorney: Definition of Driving Under the Influence in Boulder

The Larimer and Boulder County, Colorado law definition of Driving Under the Influence – C.R.S. 42-4-1301 – is:

A person who drives a motor vehicle or vehicle under the influence of alcohol or one or more drugs, or a combination of both alcohol and one or more drugs, commits driving under the influence. Driving under the influence is a misdemeanor, but it is a class 4 felony if the violation occurred after three or more prior convictions, arising out of separate and distinct criminal episodes, for DUI, DUI per se, or DWAI; vehicular homicide, as described in section 18-3-106 (1)(b), C.R.S.; vehicular assault, as described in section 18-3-205 (1)(b), C.R.S.; or any combination thereof.

DWAI or Driving While Alcohol Impaired is a lesser offense charged when a person is impaired by alcohol, with a BAC of .05 to .079. For a DUI, a person’s BAC must be .08 or higher.

Sentence for Driving Under the Influence DUI Charges in Loveland and Estes Park

In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, the punishment for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) varies depending on the specific circumstances of each case. A first offense DUI carries a sentence of 5 days to 1 year in the Larimer County Jail with 48-96 hours of community service, and a 9-month driver’s license suspension. However, if your BAC was .2 or higher, the minimum jail sentence becomes 10 days to 1 year. A fourth DUI offense is charged as a felony and is punishable by 2 to 6 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.

If you or someone you love has been arrested for Driving Under the Influence / DUI, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best DUI attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.

Photo by Oliver Hale on Unsplash