Colorado Springs DUI Attorney Warns Repeat Drunk Driving Offenders

As a Colorado Springs DUI Attorney, I have been representing citizens of Colorado in disputes with the laws of the state pertaining to drunk driving.  In most of these cases, my clients are guilty, but they are hoping to reduce their sentence or the DUI’s impact on their insurance or employment records.  Thanks to some minor loopholes with regard to evidence-gathering, I am usually successful in minimizing the long-term impact of a DUI charge.  However, it is important to note that my awareness of these opportunities in no way condones drunk driving, but I am a little cautious of a new bill that, if passed, will dramatically affect repeat offenders.

According to the new Colorado bill, offenders will dramatically increase the amount of jail time for repeat DUI offenders.  Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) and Rep. Clair Levy (D-Boulder) are proposing separate bills, each aimed to increase drunken driving penalties throughout the state.  The common thread between these bills seems to be a mandatory 10-day prison sentence for all second offenders, and Levy’s bill adds 2 years of supervised probation.  Any subsequent offenses would result in 60 days of jail time, and all DUI offenders would need to enroll in an alcohol and drug treatment program.  This is opposed to the current sentence of in-home detention. 

The Gardner bill requires second offenses to be filed as felonies, with a conviction landing the second time DUI offender in a prison run by the Colorado Department of Corrections, not the county jail.  If you’re wondering who is going to take on this financial burden, it will fall on the governments of each county, not the state.  Like most other Colorado lawyers, I have concerns about how this legislation might affect my clients.  If you are facing a DUI charge in state of Colorado, it is important to seek legal counsel.  A Colorado Springs DUI Attorney can help you understand your rights and pursue the right course of action in your defense.