If you are charged with a DUI when operating a commercial vehicle, the penalties are likely to be harsh. If your CDL is on the line, you need to make it a priority to defend yourself and avoid a conviction. A Bergen County, New Jersey DUI lawyer from our firm can be of assistance.
How Can CDL Holders Be Punished for a DUI?
Drivers with commercial driver’s licenses are often held to an extremely high standard. The vehicles they drive are likely to be larger and far heavier than many of the other cars found on the road. An accident involving a commercial vehicle can result in terrible injuries or even deaths.
Because of this, the penalties for a DUI are going to be quite severe, even when it is a first offense. If you have a CDL and are found operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, your punishments can include:
- $250-400 in fines
- Up to 30 days in jail
- A three-month suspension of your basic driver’s license
- A one-year suspension of your CDL
A first offense where the driver blows a 0.10% BAC or more can extend that basic license suspension to a year and increase your fines. A second DUI offense carries even more drastic penalties. You can expect:
- Fines of up to $1,000
- A two-year suspension of your basic driver’s license
- Lifetime revocation of your CDL
Other violations, like speeding, following too closely, and involvement in an accident, can add to your charges and penalties. If you do not want your career completely derailed, you need to fight and forge a defense.
What if I’m Driving a Passenger Vehicle?
You can still be charged with a DUI and have your CDL suspended even if you are driving a regular car when you are stopped. You are still looked at as a potential danger to others on the road, so allowing you back behind the wheel of a larger commercial vehicle is going to look like a mistake to the state.
How Can a DUI Lawyer Help Me Keep My CDL?
A DUI attorney is ready to defend you from these charges and keep your commercial driver’s license. There are many ways to challenge a DUI charge. Your lawyer can contend that:
- There was no legal reason for the stop so any evidence, like BAC test results, gained from the stop must be thrown out
- The police officer did not conduct the breathalyzer or field sobriety test properly
- The breathalyzer was not properly calibrated
We will look at the specific facts of your case and do everything that we can to form a defense against these accusations.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
If you are facing DUI charges and the potential revocation of your CDL, you need to act quickly. Contact the Law Office of E. Gregory M. Cannarozzi and learn more about your legal rights with a free consultation. We are ready to help you fight back.