| Minnesota laws for DUI are among the toughest | | | | days plus fines, mandatory alcohol education |
| in the country, made even tougher by the | | | | courses that includes the effects of DUI and |
| recent lowering of the legal limit from .10 | | | | mandatory education on the consequences of |
| to .08. | | | | DUI on the driver's license. |
| | | | |
| Similar to drunk-driving laws that exist in | | | | Minnesota DUI law considers a first-offense |
| other states, a Minnesota DUI arrest involves | | | | conviction a gross misdemeanor caused by |
| two separate cases: one is a criminal court | | | | aggravating factors. The penalties and |
| case wherein the appropriate drunk driving | | | | punishment for first-offense DUI could |
| punishment is meted and the second is a case | | | | include a jail term of up to one year plus a |
| sought by the Minnesota Department of Public | | | | fine of up to $3,000. |
| safety, which affects the drunk driver's | | | | |
| Minnesota driving privileges. | | | | Second-offense conviction for DUI is harsher |
| | | | especially if it occurs within ten years of |
| Under Minnesota DUI law, the driver arrested | | | | the previous DUI offense and could include a |
| for violating the law has the right to speak | | | | jail term of up to one year plus a fine of up |
| to or consult a DUI defense attorney prior to | | | | to $3,000. |
| taking the necessary test for determining | | | | |
| level of alcohol. If the driver does not know | | | | The punishment is significantly higher for |
| of any DUI defense layer, the police will | | | | third-offense DUI conviction within 10 years. |
| furnish the driver with a directory of DUI | | | | The car is impounded immediately and a |
| lawyers to choose from. However if the driver | | | | significantly higher jail term is sought. An |
| refuses to undergo the chemical test after | | | | alcohol abuse evaluation is necessarily |
| being arrested for drunk driving, it | | | | obtained and the driver will have to prove |
| constitutes a separate and different criminal | | | | that he is not an alcoholic. Under |
| offense. | | | | Minnesota DUI laws, a fourth-offense DUI |
| | | | within ten years is considered a felony and |
| Under Minnesota DUI law, the criminal court | | | | includes a jail term of three years plus a |
| punishment for driving under the influence | | | | fine of $14,000 or more. |
| could involve a jail sentence of up to 90 | | | | |