Being stopped by a police officer on suspicion of being charge of a motor vehicle while under the influence will initially cause you to lose your license. When you are stopped the officer is most likely to smell your breath, look in your eyes and test your sobriety to ascertain whether you might be under the influence. During the administering on a field sobriety test the officer will make you do certain tasks to test your ability to focus, walk straight and reflexes. He or she may have stopped you because of your driving behavior and you may not necessarily have been drinking. Other substances can just as easily affect your driving abilities, such as prescription or non-prescription and illegal drugs, inhalants and other possibly dangerous substances.
Like the rest of the country, West Virginia has strict laws against driving under the influence of a controlled or illegal substance, as well as that of alcohol. Until the end of prohibition most states had laws that regulated or prohibited the sale and consumption of most alcohol. In 1933 prohibition was lifted and most states now permit the sale of alcohol in private and public stores and venues. However, the age limit from legally consuming alcohol is twenty-one. Drivers who are stopped at tested with a breathalyzer and found to be over the ‘under twenty-one’ drinking limit for blood alcohol-0.2%–they are automatically suspended from driving for anything up to one year and not less than forty-five days.
Legal Drinkers and DUI Punishments
Being over twenty-one does not exempt any driver from the DUI laws. Anything that impairs driving is likely to get you into trouble if you are stopped by a police officer. If you fail a field sobriety test you will be giving the chance to take a blood alcohol test. Refusal will automatically result in revocation of your driver’s license. If it is your first offense you might want to hire a DUI attorney in Charles Town, WV to represent you. You will need legal guidance if the evidence against you indicates that you were over the legal limit. Also, how much over that limit will also depend on the level of punishment you will receive. Visit Website for more information.
