Protect Your Freedom with a DUI & Driving Offense Lawyer in Lancaster, PA

When you have been charged with a DUI or other traffic offenses, you want to do everything possible to avoid having your license suspended or serving jail time. But trying to represent yourself in court or with a public defender is going to hurt you more than harm you. You deserve the best legal counsel available to you.

Attorney Michael Marinaro at Marinaro Law Firm is a driving offense and DUI lawyer in Lancaster, PA, ready to serve you. With more than 30 years of experience getting justice for people like you, he will do whatever he can to represent you fairly in a court of law. Get in touch with our law office today to discuss your case.

The Pennsylvania Driving Points System: What You Need to Know

When a police officer pulls you over, they may write you a traffic citation for several offenses. You risk facing severe consequences if you were stopped for speeding, reckless driving, driving with a revoked or suspended license, running a red light, or something else.

People often want to put the incident behind them and pay the traffic ticket when this happens. However, by doing so, you are pleading guilty to the traffic violation. This guilty plea can result in points on your license, and if you’re not keeping close track, your next accumulative point may be when your license gets suspended, revoked, or canceled.

The First Six Points

After your driving record reaches six or more points for the first time, you’ll receive a written notice to take an exam. The test will review safe driving practices, departmental sanctions, and related safety issues. Failure to pass the exam within 30 days will result in your license being suspended until you pass. If you pass it within 30 days, two points are removed from your driving record.

The Second Six Points

If you could reduce your points below six, and then reach six or more points a second time through additional traffic stops, you have to attend a hearing. The hearing examiner may recommend a 15-day license suspension, taking a special on-the-road driver’s exam, or attending driver’s school. You don’t want to face this hearing alone. Get in touch with a traffic attorney like Marinaro Law Firm to help protect your rights.

The Third+ Six Points

Let’s say you reduced your points again but received a speeding ticket that put you over six points for a third or more time. In this case, you’ll have to attend another hearing, where you may face a 30-day license suspension. A driving offense lawyer in Lancaster, PA, like Attorney Marinaro, can help you through this complicated time to protect your rights to operate a motor vehicle and get you the justice you deserve.

Driver’s License Suspension or Revocation: What Happens Next?

Following the conviction of a traffic offense, you may face a license suspension or revocation. If you are to have your driving privilege suspended, you will be mailed a written notice listing the date the suspension begins. You can appeal the suspension to your county’s court of common pleas.

However, the appeal must be made within 30 days, so contact Attorney Marinaro immediately if you plan to appeal a suspension. As a traffic ticket lawyer, he needs time to prepare your defense, including examining police actions, driving records, and gathering testimony.

Should you choose not to appeal, you have to turn your driver’s license in at the DMV, state police, or local police, then pay a restoration fee at the end of the suspension to get it back.

Driving Under the Influence and How It Affects Your Future

If a police officer pulled you over and charged you with driving under the influence, a DUI, a DWI, or driving while intoxicated, don’t give up! This common charge can have devasting consequences, but you don’t have to accept worst-case scenario punishment, even if you are a juvenile.

Depending on your circumstances, there are many ways to fight back against the potentially harsh penalties, such as losing your license, an ignition interlock device, and even limited job, housing, and educational opportunities.

You need a DUI lawyer in Lancaster, PA, like Attorney Marinaro at Marinaro Law Firm. We’ll analyze the circumstances of your arrest and determine if there were weaknesses in the arresting officer’s procedure when he pulled you over. As a DUI attorney, Michael Marinaro can help give you the defense you deserve to minimize your consequences if possible.

DUI Arrest Levels

In Pennsylvania, there are three levels of DUI that carry increasing penalties:

• General impairment—.08% to .099% BAC
• High BAC—0.10% to 0.159% BAC
• Highest BAC—0.16% and higher

These three levels have different consequences based on the driver’s prior history. For a complete discussion of all tiers of Pennsylvania DUI penalties, contact a DUI lawyer in Lancaster, PA, like Marinaro Law Firm, to schedule a consultation or visit the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation website. You can also refer to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board website for a Pennsylvania DUI Law Grading and Sentencing Guide.

No Prior DUI Offenses

The penalties for a person found guilty of a DUI charge for the first time are the least harsh of all the DUI punishments. Without proper legal representation from a DUI lawyer in Lancaster, PA, you may face life-altering consequences, such as:

• Ungraded misdemeanor
• Up to six months of probation
• $300 – $2,500 fine
• Alcohol highway safety school
• Treatment when ordered
• Up to one-year license suspension

One Prior DUI Offense

A person with one prior DUI offense who gets charged with DUI a second time faces more intense penalties. These consequences include:

• Misdemeanor 1
• 18-month license suspension
• Mandatory 90 days in jail
• Five years probation
• $1,500 – $10,000 fine
• Alcohol highway safety school
• Treatment when ordered
• One year ignition interlock

Get help from our attorney in Lancaster County today.

Two Prior DUI Offenses

People who have two prior DUI offenses and are found guilty after a third arrest may face even more severe penalties. Don’t face the punishments alone. Get help from a DUI attorney today to avoid consequences such as:

• Misdemeanor 1
• 18-month license suspension
• 90 days to five years in prison
• $1,500 to $10,000 fine
• Treatment when ordered
• One year use of ignition interlock device

Three or More DUI Offenses

Repeated DUI offenders with three or more past DUI convictions face the most severe penalties, including an upgrade to the life-altering felony charge. These people may face any or all of the following:

• Felony 3
• One Year of incarceration
•  Seven years of probation
• $2,500 -$15,000 fine
• 18-month license suspension
• After nine months, you can apply for the use of an ignition interlock device

Do You Need Help from a Driving Offense and DUI Lawyer in Lancaster, PA?

Whether you get stopped for running a red light, speeding, or a DUI, you need a lawyer on your side to help defend your rights. Don’t waste your time with other lawyers who don’t take the time to get to know the details of your case and can analyze evidence with the expertise required of your case. Instead, trust Attorney Marinaro at Marinaro Law Firm to get you the justice you deserve.

As a former forensic analyst for the Maryland State Police, Attorney Marinaro has the unique education and experience to analyze critical pieces of evidence that other attorneys don’t have. Please fill out our contact form below to schedule a free consultation with a driving offense and DUI lawyer in Lancaster, PA, today!