From now until Halloween, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police (LVMPD), Nevada State Police, and Highway Patrol Division will team up to increase DUI enforcement. This announcement comes after LVMPD received millions of dollars in grants to focus on catching impaired drivers.
Police will assign extra patrol offices to DUI enforcement this month. They will also send additional officers with phlebotomists seven days a week. This will allow them to draw blood from people arrested for impaired driving to document evidence for prosecution.
DUI Statistics in Nevada
This initiative against DUI accidents comes because impaired driving is consistently the most common cause of injuries and deaths on Nevada roadways, according to police. DUI statistics in Nevada support this.
One recent year, Nevada reported 92 fatalities caused by alcohol-impaired driving. Those deaths make up about 30 percent of the state’s total fatalities that year. Of those alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, over 77 percent were caused by drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of over 0.15 percent. There were over 11,000 DUI arrests in Nevada that year.
What to Do When Facing DUI Charges
There are a few steps you need to take after being charged with a DUI — and you don’t have long to take them. To protect your rights, you need to:
- Contact a Las Vegas DUI defense lawyer — Before you do anything, you should have an attorney on your side. Nevada takes DUIs seriously and will likely pursue the maximum sentencing. You don’t want to accidentally say or do anything that can hurt your case. A skilled criminal defense lawyer can make sure your rights are protected from the start and begin building your defense.
- Request an administrative hearing — You only have seven days after a DUI charge to stop your driver’s license suspension. To do this, you must request an administrative hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Your license can be suspended for 90 days if you don’t, even for a first-time offender before a conviction.
- Prepare for trial — You will likely have a courtroom trial for your DUI. If convicted, penalties may include jail time, high fines, community service, vehicle impoundment, mandatory alcohol education classes, and mandatory attendance before a DUI victim impact panel. A criminal record can also make your life more difficult, keeping you from certain jobs or even housing. Your DUI defense attorney can prepare you for what to expect at trial and argue your case in the courtroom for the best possible results.
If You Need a DUI Lawyer in Las Vegas, Contact Adras & Altig, Attorneys at Law
A DUI conviction in Nevada can cost you your driver’s license, thousands of dollars, and your freedom. You need a lawyer who understands these risks and will build a personalized case with a persuasive defense. To learn more about your rights, contact us today for a free consultation with a Las Vegas DUI attorney.
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At Adras & Altig, we believe that every client we work with deserves a fresh start. Our dedicated Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys take the time to get to know you so we can understand the circumstances surrounding your arrest.