A DUI is treated seriously in the state of Colorado. Unfortunately, sometimes children in particular face DUI charges simply due to making mistakes on the path to adulthood. Appropriate legal guidance may help these individuals to defend themselves against such charges.
When young individuals are away at college, their chances of taking risks increase. One of these risks is engaging in underage drinking and driving. It is a risk that can have major, life-altering consequences, jeopardizing a young person’s future before the individual has ever learned how to behave as a responsible adult.
Criminal penalties resulting from an underage DUI conviction in Colorado include jail time. However, the negative effects stretch far beyond a jail cell’s walls. These other negative consequences include probation, the revocation and suspension of a driver’s license, monetary fines, and skyrocketing car insurance rates and court fees.
Other negative outcomes of an underage DUI conviction for a young individual may include being suspended or expelled from college and even being disqualified for scholarships and loans. If the young person is in the military, he or she may end up getting discharged. Finally, the individual might struggle to obtain a job requiring a criminal background check. This is why it is important for a young person, or for his or her parents, to contact a lawyer as quickly as possible after the young person has been arrested for driving under the influence. A defense attorney will work hard to protect the rights of a young person facing DUI charges and will strive to keep a DUI mistake from negatively impacting the young person’s life in the years ahead.