When is DUI a Felony in Las Vegas?

In Las Vegas, a DUI offense is normally taken as a misdemeanor. However, you can confirm with any experienced Las Vegas DUI Lawyer that the state prosecutors will bring felony drunk driving charges under two situations, namely, if the suspect had two (2) previous DUI convictions in the last seven (7) years, or if the DUI incident resulted in a fatality or serious bodily injury to another person. Knowing when is DUI a felony or a misdemeanor, and the severity of the penalty that may be imposed, depends on many factors. These factors may include the number of offenses, the level of blood alcohol registered in the breath test, and whether or not others are injured in an accident with the DUI offender. Any good criminal defense attorney can, based on the facts of your case, can assess your charge, and explain in detail whether when is DUI a felony or a misdemeanor in the event that you are convicted. Bottom line, is DUI a felony? Yes. Depending on the DUI charges when some cases are specifically a Class B felony; this happens when the accused has third conviction within seven years of your first DUI offense. An experienced DUI lawyer in Las Vegas can tell you that the standard sentence for a third offense DUI includes prison term of 1 to 6 years, fines from $2,000 to $5,000, Victim Impact Panel mandatory attendance, installation of a Breath Interlock Device in your car for 1 to 3 years after your release, 3 year driver’s license suspension or revocation, 5 day registration suspension, and a $35 civil penalty fee, participation in an alcohol & drug evaluation program, compulsory purchase of high risk insurance, community service and civil liability for any bodily injury or property damage you caused. A conviction for a DUI which caused injury or death is also a Category B felony which carries a sentence of a prison term of 2 to 20 years and fines from $ 2,000 to $ 5,000. However, if a suspect accused of Las Vegas DUI with death already has 3 previous DUI convictions, the prosecutor will instead charge them with the Category A felony of Nevada Vehicular homicide. The penalties for DUI felony include 25 years in prison, or even a life sentence, with the possibility of parole after 10 years. The jail term will likely be served in a minimum-security facility and segregated from the more violent offenders. A DUI conviction may also carry indirect penalties, such as increased automobile insurance rates and limitations on future employment opportunities. Of course, employment opportunities may be naturally limited by the transportation problems created by a DUI license suspension. Increasingly, the conviction itself may preclude work in certain fields or with certain companies. If you have a commercial driver’s license, which includes school bus drivers, you may risk losing that license completely depending on your DUI convictions. Because the penalties and consequences for drunk driving are serious, you would want to get professional legal help from a reputable DUI lawyer in Las Vegas to handle your DUI case. On instances when is a DUI felony, it is the best time to contact an expert who can help you deal with it.