If you are convicted of or plead guilty to a DUI in Pennsylvania, your license will be suspended. It does not matter if this is a 1st time DUI in Pennsylvania, or a 4th. PennDOT will be unmerciful regardless of your situation. Therefore, if you have been charged with DUI in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania, you should contact a Pennsylvania DUI Lawyer immediately.
Most first-time DUI offenders will face a suspension in Pennsylvania for a period of 12 months unless you are participating in the ARD program. Second and subsequent penalties for DUI include an 18 month license suspension and may also require an installation of Ignition Interlock on your vehicle for at least one year. If you are convicted of three offenses within a five-year period, you will be deemed a Habitual Offender by PennDOT, and your license will be suspended for a 5 year period! Even the best DUI Attorney in Pittsburgh will have a struggle saving your license in this situation. That is why it is important to contact a Pittsburgh DUI Lawyer immediately if you are charged with Pennsylvania DUI.
Call Pittsburgh DUI Attorney Michael V. Worgul at (412) 475-9217 or 1-855-DUI-CRIM to schedule a free consultation.
The consequences of a license suspension have even greater impact when a person earns their living by driving. If you operate a commercial vehicle, you are held to higher standards while driving it. The .08 BAC level necessary for a regular Pennsylvania DUI is lowered to .04 BAC while operating most commercial vehicles, and .02 BAC while operating a school bus or school vehicle. In most first time DUI cases, your Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) will be disqualified for 12 months. However, if you are convicted of DUI while transporting hazardous materials or a school bus, or you refuse to submit to a chemical test, the disqualification is for 36 months! Matters will only get worse for a second conviction where the disqualification is Lifetime!!!
Many people also don’t realize that, under PA DUI laws, all people who drive within Pennsylvania impliedly consent to chemical testing if an Officer has reasonable grounds to believe that they are operating under the influence. Therefore, if you refuse to submit to a chemical test of your breath, blood, or urine, you could be subject to a mandatory suspension of 12 months in addition to any other suspension imposed. However, the police must be able to prove that your refusal was knowing and conscious. Experienced PA DUI Attorneys may be able to argue that the refusal was not knowing and conscious depending on the circumstances of your case.
Finally, if you are convicted of DUI underage in Pennsylvania, and you are ARD eligible, your Pennsylvania Driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days. Keep in mind that when you are under the age of 21, the police only need to prove that your BAC was .02 or greater for a conviction. However, if you are under the age of 18, your case will most likely proceed through Juvenile Court, and there is a chance that your license may not be suspended at all. Therefore, it is very important that you contact a qualified Pittsburgh DUI Attorney immediately.
I am Pittsburgh DUI Attorney Michael V. Worgul and I have significant experience handling Pennsylvania DUI and License Suspension litigation. If you have been charged with DUI in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, or anywhere else in Pennsylvania, please contact me at (412) 475-9217 or 1-855-DUI-CRIM for a consultation at no charge to you.
I look forward to listening to the circumstances of your case and discussing all available options under the law.
Sincerely,
Michael V. Worgul
Michael V. Worgul, Esq., LLC
429 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Toll Free: 1-855-DUI-CRIM
Phone: 412-475-9217
Fax: 412-288-8943
Tags: Pennsylvania License Suspension, Pittsburgh DUI Attorney
