How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Lawyer For A 2nd DUI Offense?

The average cost to hire a lawyer for a 2^nd DUI offense is about $6,600 with average lawyer fees ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 in the US for 2019 according to Lawyers.com. The average case duration took 7.6 months with time frames ranging from 5 to 12 months. A recent nationwide survey evaluated the duration, cost and the results for defendants facing a DUI case when they already have prior convictions for the same offense. In this post, you can learn what was discovered.

Second DUI Outcomes

Most people who responded to the survey that were arrested for a 2^nd DUI offence was ultimately convicted for a downgraded charge, for instance, “wet reckless” or reckless driving. When you look at the figures just over seventy percent for misdemeanor DUI, just over ten percent ended up with a DUI conviction that counted as a felony and a little over five percent made a plea of guilty (or no contest) to a lesser charge brought before them. In addition, just over ten percent did not face charges of a criminal nature or the charges were dismissed by the court in cases where the BAC (Blood Alcohol Contact) was negligible. When making a comparison to a first time DUI offense, the individuals arrested for DUI when they already had one conviction in the past were convicted thirty-three percent more often.

Penalties For Second DUI

For those committing a DUI for the second time the most common penalties were treatment or alcohol education. Nearly three-quarters of the people who were surveyed were sentenced to such courses. Also, commonplace were ignition interlock devices and probation. Most second time offenders did not have to spend time in jail, but twenty four percent did versus nineteen percent for first time offenders. Of those found guilty for a second time just over forty percent were forced to install ignition interlock devices – whereas first time offenders had to do this a little under twenty percent of the time.

How Much Does A Second DUI Cost?

Undoubtedly, second time DUI offenses are taken most seriously by judges and prosecutors. The costs averaged $6,500 including expenses, attorney fees, the hike in insurance premiums, alcohol education, bail costs, traffic school costs and more (not to mention income lost during the process.) That said, the costs for a second DUI are remarkably like the costs for an initial DUI. But when looking at third and fourth DUI offenses, the costs start escalating very quickly indeed. It is important to assemble the correct information for all aspects of your case and what it will take to reobtain a provisional drivers license.

How Long Does A Second Offense DUI Take To Resolve?

The average time was 7.6 months from the initial arrest for those in our survey with a repeat DUI. However, there are many different factors to consider and the time may be shorter or longer. This is why it is so important to work with criminal defense lawyer who understands the nature of local DUI cases, so they can guide you through the process in the most efficient way possible.

Source:

Lawyers.com, https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/criminal/dui-dwi/second-offense-dui-how-much-does-it-cost-and-what-are-the-penalties.html