Underage DUI Lawyer in Columbus, OH

The state of Ohio does not take DUI / OVI cases lightly. With the lobbying of organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the issue of drunk driving has taken a center place in the national spotlight. This has resulted in strict regulations, harsh penalties and severe consequences for those who around to be in violation. This, however, is never truer than for cases where a person under the legal drink age of 21 is found to be operating a motor vehicle with traces of alcohol in their system.

Zero Tolerance: Regarding Under 21 OVI Laws

For an adult, the legal threshold of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is set at 0.08 percent. This, however, is significantly lowered for drivers who are under the legal drinking age. For someone who is younger than 21 years old, it is considered to be a criminal offense to be driving with a BAC over 0.02 percent. For many people, being at this level of 0.02 is hardly considered to be drunk. In fact, according to Virginia Tech, having a BAC between 0.01 and 0.06 will likely result in relaxation, a sense of well-being, lowered inhibition and joyfulness with possible impairments to thought, judgment, coordination and concentration.

To give an estimate of what it would take to exceed 0.02 percent BAC levels, take this into consideration: it is estimated by Virginia Tech that for a women who weighs 120 pounds, it could take one twelve ounce beer to reach a BAC of 0.04 percent. Should that same woman have two beers or ten ounces of wine, her BAC could theoretically reach 0.08 percent. This means that when an underage driver is criminally charged with drunk driving, it does not necessarily mean that they were drunk or impaired – only that they had traces of alcohol within their system.

Columbus, Ohio is a college town and is the home of Ohio State University. Beyond that, there is also the Columbus State Community College, the American Institute of Alternative Medicine, Franklin University and the Columbus College of Art and Design. Unfortunately, criminal charges of drunk driving are common among college age students and can result in serious consequences. This could affect employment and acceptance into programs for higher education. For this reason, if you or a child have recently been criminally charged and arrested, you should not hesitate to get the involvement of an experienced attorney to fight the charges.

Contact a Columbus under 21 OVI attorney!

While drunk driving is never condoned, you should not be forced to suffer the consequences of criminal penalties for one mistake. If you have been arrested for drunk driving under the age of 21, it’s in your best interests to contact the legal team at the Koffel Law Firm as soon as possible. We know that in some cases, faulty DUI testing could have resulted in a wrongful accusation. You can trust that should you choose to work with a Columbus criminal attorney from our firm that regardless of whether we are fighting for a full acquittal or even just a reduction of the charges that we will always go above and beyond in our efforts to help you protect your legal rights. We know what is on the line and we will always fight to help you defend you. So what are you waiting for? To learn more about what we can do to help you protect your legal rights, do not hesitate to pick up the phone and call us today at 614-675-4845.

Charged with an underage OVI? Looking to protect your rights? Contact a Columbus DUI lawyer today.