Rockville Under Eighteen DUI Cases

Some of the first things that a Rockville underage DUI lawyer will want the individual under 18 to know is that they shouldn’t be talking to their friends or family about what happened. These charges are very serious and they should be speaking only with their parents and with their attorney about what actually took place on that occasion.

Additionally, it is important they make sure that they follow the same steps that adults charged with DUIs follow, which includes participating in some kind of an alcohol education program, making sure they are preserving any rights that are necessary to be preserved with the motor vehicle administration and not saying anything associated with the case which might be an admission of guilt for the criminal charges alleged. For further information about how someone under the age of 18 can protect himself/herself during a DUI case, call a DUI lawyer in Rockville.

Rockille DUI Laws for Those Under 18

DUI charges associated with people who are under the age of 18 are going to be subject to the DUI laws that are applied to people who are over the age of 21 with one very important exception. Somebody who is under the age of 21 is not permitted to have any alcohol in their system, so they can also be charged with another offense of violating a driver’s license restriction. That means if they consumed alcohol while under the age of 21 they can also be charged with additional criminal offense for violating another law that people under the age of 21 are not allowed to consume alcohol. In such cases where an individual is facing more than one criminal charge, they will want to have an experienced Rockville DUI attorney on their side acting as their advocate.

How Prosecutors Treat These Cases

These cases are prosecuted strongly because the judges want to give the message to young people that driving under the influence of alcohol is very dangerous and they want to give that message to them at a young age. Some of them are charged with a DUI even when the matter is going to be in the juvenile courtroom. Judges will treat the case very seriously and make sure that the proceedings are handled appropriately so that the juvenile gets the message about how serious the charge is.

Case Process

The important thing to remember in these cases is that they will usually be handled in the juvenile court system where the resolution reached by the court is usually going to be sealed and there will not be any further record of it available for public viewing once that person turns 18 years old.
From a punishment perspective, these charges are going to be treated very seriously but the punishments are typically going to be less serious than they would be in a Rockville adult court. That is because juvenile proceedings usually don’t involve periods of incarceration or extensive periods of probation. Rather a judge might order that an individual participate in some kind of an alcohol education program, and subsequently once that alcohol education program is completed the judge will then make a determination depending on the type of case and whether any further assistance or any further involvement by the court system is necessary.

Importance of Hiring a Rockville DUI Lawyer

It is important to hire a DUI attorney in Rockville because underage DUI charges, even though they are going to be handled in the juvenile court system, are still criminal proceedings where evidence is presented. There is still a trial that takes place during a juvenile hearing where witnesses will testify and need to be cross-examined.

What Parents Should Expect

Parents should expect that their child is going to be prosecuted in the juvenile court system. They should expect that their child will not likely face any kind of period of incarceration. But from the very beginning, they should know that it is important to hire a DUI attorney in Rockville that is familiar with the juvenile court system and with the juvenile court system in the area.
They should know that unless there are some aggravating facts, like a very serious car accident, the case will not be elevated to the adult court and will remain in the juvenile proceeding posture. This means that in all likelihood their children will face outcomes that include alcohol education, community service and potentially any kind of restitution to cover any damages as a result of the incident itself. Also, they should expect a period of monitoring by the court system to make sure that their child has really learned their lesson and doesn’t pose a risk to the community.

What Those Under Eighteen Should Expect

Somebody who is under the age of 18 should expect that their DUI case is going to be handled in the juvenile court system, which is not necessarily a court system that handles criminal cases but rather handles disciplinary proceedings associated with juveniles. The juvenile services will be involved in evaluating the case and making recommendations to the judge about what he or she should do in terms of resolving the case and how that case might ultimately come to some kind of a resolution by the court system.