DUI Reference Guide

Wyoming DUI Laws

A person can be arrested for a DUI under one of two different theories.  If a person is found to be under the influence they can be arrested.  A person can be considered to be under the influence while driving if their physical or mental abilities are impaired so that they are not driving as well or safely as they would if they were sober.  If an individual is found to have a blood alcohol content at or above 0.08% or more they will be arrested for having violated the per se laws. 

Anyone arrested for a DUI, can have their driver’s license suspended.  This is able to occur before a person has their court case to determine if a person is guilty of a DUI.  Offenders will face criminal penalties, which can include jail time, community service, fines, ignition interlock systems and many other punishments. 

DUI laws are very strict in Wyoming. In fact, they work to deter plea bargains.  Unless the state can show that they really do not have enough of a case to continue with trying to prove a person’s guilt, they are not able to except plea bargains from a defendant.  For individuals with prior DUI convictions, they will face even harsher penalties if found guilty of DUI.  Prior DUI offenses are those that occurred in five years or less from the current case.

Those who are convicted of a DUI can be sentenced to time in jail and or community service.  There will also be fines to be paid as well as license suspensions.   A license is often revoked for as much as 90 days for first time offenders.  As a person has more offenses they could find themselves without a license for three years.  When a person receives their license back, they might need to have an ignition interlock system on their vehicle.   Typically those convicted will need to attend alcohol/DUI safety courses. 

Anyone arrested for DUI should consult with a lawyer.  It is essential to select a lawyer who specializes in this area of law. Otherwise a person might not get the best defense.  There are many aspects of DUI law and due to how complicated their laws are, a person needs a highly skilled and knowledgeable DUI lawyer.  There are many possible consequences for a DUI conviction.  A lawyer can sometimes work in court to help a person to be granted less jail time or even penalties other than jail or in addition to jail to shorten a sentence.

Individuals convicted can be sent to spend some time on house arrest rather than serving all time in prison.  They might be required to attend treatment programs for any alcohol or drug problems.  Community service time can also be used as part of a punishment. 

DUI convictions can result from statements and testimony provided by arresting officers.  They will often tell of someone who was not driving well which might be why they were pulled over in the first place.  In addition, an officer will not if a person appeared in any other ways impaired.  They will speak of any signs of alcohol on a person’s breath and any signs that they were slurring their speech.  An officer can give a person a field sobriety test.  If this test is failed that can be further proof that they might have been intoxicated.  A lawyer can work to create doubt in any of these areas that are used to try to prove a person’s guilty.

A BAC at or exceeding 0.08% can also result in conviction.  The levels change depending upon when a person was drinking and when they are tested.  In fact, their levels can be higher some time later.  Levels could have been below the cut off point at the time when the driver was actually operating the vehicle.  Lawyers can again try to prove the person was not under the influence by presenting information about how the rest works. 

Finding a lawyer involves searching for defense lawyers and especially those who deal with DUI cases all the time.  Other lawyers might not be as able to work against the evidence presented in DUI cases when the case is in court.