DUI / DWAI
Our Lawyers Offer Effective DUI Defenses in Denver
Defending you when you face drunk driving charges
Drunk driving charges can adversely affect almost every aspect of your life. Your freedom and your financial well-being are at stake. Your job opportunities and relationships may be strained. Imagine explaining to your boss why you must take a leave of absence to serve a jail term. Equally difficult, imagine not being able to drive your kid to ball practice or arranging a date by bus in the sprawling Denver suburbs because your driving privileges have been suspended. You need experienced counsel to put you in the best position possible.
Mulligan Breit, LLC has aggressively handled DUI cases for 20 years. Our former public defenders are skilled at challenging the prosecution’s evidence and building a strong defense against the most difficult drunk driving charges, including aggravated DUIs and vehicular homicide. We protect your rights with vigor and experience.
Colorado DUI laws
Colorado statutes recognize different levels of drunk driving standards. With a blood alcohol content (BAC) of at least .05 percent, you are considered to have been driving while ability impaired (DWAI). You are presumed to have been driving under the influence (DUI) if you registered a BAC of .08 percent or higher. You may be classified as a persistent drunk and subject to harsher penalties if your BAC was .17 percent or higher.
Under Colorado’s zero tolerance laws, you face an underage drinking and driving offense (UDD) if you are younger than 21 years of age and had a BAC of .02 percent to .04 percent. You are subject to the same penalties as an adult if your BAC was .05 percent or higher.
Penalties in Colorado for drinking and driving offenses
The sentence you face depends on several factors, including Breathalyzer results, performance on your field sobriety tests, other proof of inebriation and the number of prior drunk driving convictions on your record.
At your administrative hearing, officers determine matters concerning length of license suspension and points on your driving record. The criminal courts may impose the following penalties:
| Offense | Jail Term | Fine | Public Service Work | Driver License |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First DUI | Five days to one year | $300 to $1,000 | 48 to 96 hours | One-Year Suspension |
| Second DUI in five years | 90 days to one year | $500 to $1,500 | 60 to 120 hours | One-Year Revocation |
| First DWAI | 2 to 180 Days | $100 to $500 | 13 to 48 hours | One-year revocation |
| Second DWAI in five years | 45 days to one year | $300 to $1,000 | 48 to 96 hours | One-year revocation |
| DWAI with prior DUI in five years | 60 days to one year | $400 to $1,200 | 52 to 104 hours | One-year revocation |
| DUI with prior DWAI in five years | 70 days to one year | $450 to $1,500 | 56 to 112 hours | One-year revocation |
What our attorneys do to protect your rights
Law enforcement uses tools such as a breath test and roadside sobriety tests to establish probable cause to arrest you for drunk driving and to collect valuable evidence against you. To develop a strong defense, our criminal law attorneys challenge:
- The accuracy and relevancy of the breath machine results
- The administration and interpretation of field sobriety tests
- Subjective observations made by law enforcement officers
- Probable cause for your traffic stop, including unlawful sobriety checkpoints
Our law firm protects your rights when you are the victim of a damaging false accusation of domestic violence.
Consult with our lawyers for powerful DUI defenses
For more information about defenses to your DUI charges, call Mulligan Breit, LLC at 303.295.1500 or contact our firm online to schedule an appointment. Because arrests do not always conveniently occur during regular business hours, our criminal defense attorneys return after-hours calls. Our office is centrally located in downtown Denver within walking distance of the primary criminal courts.
