Thaddeus Furlong: Virginia DUI Offense Penalties and Sentencing Guidelines

1. Thaddeus Furlong: Virginia DUI
Offense Penalties and Sentencing
Guidelines

2. With a background in law enforcement,
Thad Furlong serves Virginia criminal defense
clients in complex matters that include
controlled substances, computer fraud,
manslaughter, homicide, and
driving under the influence (DUI).

3. Virginia has strong DUI sentencing guidelines
that begin with a $250 fine, class-one
misdemeanor, and one-year license suspension
for first offenses. For initial DUI offenses, blood
alcohol content (BAC) of between .15 and .19
carries with it a mandatory five-day jail
sentence, while .20 or higher BAC results in 10
days of jail time.

4. Regardless of the BAC level, second offenses
within five years of the first are punishable by
mandatory jail time of at least 20 days, license
suspensions of up to three years, and a
minimum $500 fine. Any driver convicted of a
third DUI offense within 10 years faces a class
6 felony, which involves indefinite loss of
license, fines of at least $1,000 and jail time of
no less than 90 days.