Drunk driving is a crime and if you’re arrested in Ohio for this offense you will need an OVI lawyer in Cincinnati Ohio. In Ohio it is important to know that a DUI is known as an OVI; operating a vehicle under the influence. If you are arrested you are not alone, over 1.5 million Americans are arrested each year and charged with a drunk driving offense, all the terms that are commonly used; Dui, DWI or OVI are all terms meaning that you were operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The BAC, blood-alcohol content in most states must not exceed .08%, in some states it is lower but the federal mandated level is .08%. The number represents a measure of mass per volume, should you have a BAC of .03 for example, and you have 0.03 grams of alcohol in each 100 grams of blood.
The consequences of being found guilty of OVI are serious. Even a first offense can draw a jail sentence of 90 days, losing your driving license, having the vehicle plates confiscated and impounding of the offending vehicle. Monetary fines usually start at about $1,000 and can go as high as $14,000 for a forth offense.
With or without an OVI lawyer in Cincinnati Ohio you will have to go through a court case. The punishments that can be meted are often times not; a first offense where there was no injury or substantial property damage will probably result in 2 or 3 days in jail. If you spent time in jail when first arrested this will probably be applied to your sentence as credit. In exchange for short jail punishment, the court will place the offender on probation, maybe for 2 to 3 years. For the first offense the lawyer will fight to have the probation informal which means you do not have to report to a probation officer, however, if the terms of probation are broken you will be jailed. The first offense will also see you having to attend a mandatory OVI offender school which you have to pay for. Your driving privileges will probably be taken for a year but a lawyer can plea for restrictions rather than outright loss if it affects your work or medical treatment.
Fines and jail are sentences that eventually go away, once convicted of an OVI you will find your insurance premium skyrocketing, that is, if you can even get coverage. It can be a catch 22 situation as without insurance you can’t drive even if you’re driving privileges can be re-instated by the state. Eventually you will find insurance coverage but your lawyer cannot help you with this but he will tell you that the consequences of subsequent OVI convictions will be much harder.
