DUI Reference Guide

Oregon DUII Law

Anytime you drive while under the influence of alcohol or other potentially intoxicating substances, you face the possibility of being arrested for DUI or DUII.  DUI/DUII means that you will face charges in two different areas if you are arrested.  Of course, you will face criminal charges.  In addition, you will face charges by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).  The DMV can impose actions against your driving privileges if you are arrested for a DUI or DUII. 

Oregon is working hard to crack down on people who drive while under the influence of intoxicants.  In fact, you could be arrested for DUI for any number of other intoxicants, not just alcohol.  However, you can be arrested only if the intoxicants have had an impact on you that a police officer can note.  But the possibility exists for you to be arrested for DUII for any dangerous influence including prescription medications or being too tired to drive.  Driving while in any way impaired is a very serious act in Oregon.  Oregon places a responsibility on any driving individual to use good judgment and not drive if they are in any way impaired. 

Oregon’s DUII laws do not pertain simply to driving on the road either.  If you are found intoxicated while driving on any public areas, you can be arrested.  You cannot be arrested if found driving on private property.  It is critical for a person to never be behind the wheel of a motor vehicle if they are under the influence of any controlled substance.

You can lose your license through a DUII case with the DMV.  It is your responsibility to ask for a DMV hearing.  Otherwise, you will find yourself without a license immediately.  Before you attend your hearing, it would be advisable to contact an attorney specializing in these kinds of cases.  A lawyer can help to make you aware of your rights as well as ways that you might be able to retain your driver’s license. 

If you are pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence, you must submit to a blood or breath test.  If you do not, you will lose your license.  Additionally, should you fail the test, you also will lose your license for anywhere from 90 days to three years.   Anytime you are convicted of DUII, your license will be revoked for up to three years.  In some cases, you could lose your driving privileges permanently. 

Whenever an officer stops you for suspicion of DUII, he will make note of your mental and physical conditions.  The officer might take special notice of how well you are walking or talking.  It is possible that you were pulled over for swerving, speeding or driving in some other dangerous manner.  When you attend your DUII trial, that police officer will restate anything that he saw of importance, which could prove that you were intoxicated.  Another way to prove intoxication is by presenting the results of a breath or blood test to show the level of intoxication. 

There are detrimental punishments for a DUII conviction.  Even for a first offense you could lose your license for one year, serve as much as a year in jail, and pay fines of $5,000. In addition, you will need to be evaluated for any additional or related problems.  The findings could result in you being required to receive treatments. You would be held responsible for any of the costs associated with your evaluation as well. 

Cases of DUII often can be quite complicated.  Even if you were not driving in a dangerous way, you still can be arrested for DUII if you fail a sobriety test or if your BAC reaches 0.08%.  This can make it more challenging for a person to prove their innocence.  In addition, penalties and consequences can vary depending upon many factors.  It is wise to contact attorneys who specialize in DUI cases for advice.  They can assist you in fighting the charges of DUII.  In addition, they can protect your rights.  Use toll free attorney search numbers or directories to locate DUI/DUII lawyers in your immediate area.  Additionally, you can use online lawyer searches to locate attorneys in your local area who specialize in DUII cases.