Massachusetts OUI Penalties

If you are convicted of an OUI in the state of Massachusetts, you face a number of penalties which can negatively impact your life. That is why it is important to enlist the services of an attorney who has the knowhow and skills to help you avoid a conviction and to minimize the harsh results that may follow. When charged with an OUI, you can do nothing, which will likely result in a conviction or you can have your day in court, a right to which you are entitled. Just because you are charged with the offense does not necessarily mean you are guilty of it or that you will be convicted.

First Offense OUI Penalties

A first-offense OUI conviction carries the following penalties: fines between $500 to $5,000, jail time of up to 2.5 years and a driver's license suspension of up to a year. If you agree to complete a state-approved alcohol education program, you may get a reduced sentence. This option is only available on the first offenses. You may also be placed on probation for up to one year. When on probation, you generally cannot leave the state without express permission from your probation officer. Further penalties include increased insurance rates and potential employment problems due to the fact that you now have a criminal record. To reinstate your license is another $100 fee. General estimates of the financial costs of a first-time OUI range around $4,000 for the average person.

Repeat Offender Penalties

Subsequent OUI convictions will result in even harsher penalties. A second offense will result in fines of $600 to $10,000, jail time of 30 days to 2.5 years and a two-year license suspension. A third offense will be charged as a felony, punishable by fines of $1,000 to $15,000, jail time of 150 days to five years, and an eight-year license suspension. If you are convicted of a fifth offense, you will lose your license for the rest of your life.

A Boston OUI Attorney Can Help

In the face of such harsh penalties, you should have competent legal counsel. An OUI is not something you should consider defending on your own. It is a complicated area of the law, using scientific and technical evidence, and only an experienced OUI defense lawyer should represent you. In the Boston area, you have the option of retaining the capable services of Boston criminal defense lawyer Thomas A. Brant, an attorney with more than 20 years of legal experience. Mr. Brant has handled more than 500 criminal cases in both state and federal courts. His track record of successful results speaks for itself.

Contact Boston OUI attorney Thomas A. Brant if you are facing OUI, DUI, or any other criminal charges in the greater Boston area today.