Did you know that the number of Americans who have been incarcerated without a conviction exceeds the total population of many countries? This is because they can’t afford to post bail and pay other legal fees.
Bail isn’t the only factor that is costly, though. Let’s take the case of driving under the influence. If you keep on committing the same offense repeatedly, the fines and penalties will increase each time.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of how much a DUI costs you on average:
What do the fines depend on?
Other than repeat offenses, here’s what the total legal cost depends on:
- Blood alcohol concentration: This is a metric for calculating the total alcohol percentage in a driver’s bloodstream. This concentration can be anywhere between 0.02% and 0.3%. The legal limit across most states is 0.08%. Anything higher than this level is not just considered illegal, but also highly unsafe.
Speaking of Indiana in particular, if a motorist’s BAC exceeds 0.15%, the crime is categorized as a Class A misdemeanor. Law enforcement personnel determine the fine after finding out the BAC first.
- Driver’s age: As per the state laws of Indiana, the age of a driver matters just as much as their BAC does. An adult driver will be penalized if their BAC is 0.08% or more. However, if the driver is under 12 years of age, they’ll be fined even if their BAC is 0.02% or more. For commercial drivers of all ages, the limit is set at 0.04%.
What’s the total cost?
Here’s a summary of the total costs that you’ll incur in terms of fines:
- A first-time offense is categorized as a Class A misdemeanor. The defendant will be liable to pay fines up to $500. However, if their BAC exceeds 0.15%, the fines can go up to$5,000. As far as jail time is concerned, it’s up to sixty days for normal cases and up to a year if the BAC is above 0.15%.
- If the defendant commits the same offense a second time, it’s a Class D felony. In this case, your fines will skyrocket up to $10,000, along with three years of imprisonment.
- The third time it happens, the fine and imprisonment parameters remain the same. However, in this case, the defendant’s driver’s license may be suspended for as long as 10 years!
Other than the fines, your bail and lawyer fee will also increase if the case is more complicated and repetitive. At DeLaughter Bail Bonds, we try and make the process as affordable for the client as we can. For the most reliable bail bond services in Indiana, give us a call at 260-578-0505.
