Minnesota DUI
Minnesota recently changed its drunk driving laws in 2005, reducing the legal limit of blood alcohol to 0.08% from the previous level of 0.10%. DUI charges in Minnesota will result in automatic suspension of driving privileges as well as other penalties such as fines and prison terms, depending on the conditions surrounding the arrest and the presence of previous charges and convictions. The state has one of the toughest DUI laws in the country, which is why the help of a very good lawyer is important in winning your case or getting you a reduced sentence at the least.
A first-time offense in Minnesota will result in suspension of one's driving license, fines, jail terms, and mandatory education courses. Without aggravating terms, one is required to stay a total of 90 days in jail. Aggravating factors, even for a first offense can turn an arrest into a gross misdemeanor, which is subject to up to one year in jail and a fine of $3000. It is also a gross misdemeanor if one is charged with DWI within ten years of a prior offense. A third offense will allow the authorities to impound your vehicle. A fourth offense within ten years of the prior offense is a felony resulting in a three-year stay in prison and a fine of $14,000.
Refusal to take a drunk driving test
Refusal to take a chemical drunk driving test, which results in suspension of one's driver's license in some states, is a separate offense in Minnesota.
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