Expungement of DUI Charges for an Out-of-State Resident
You know what’s worse than a DUI charge?
It’s when you are charged with DUI, but in a completely different state! You are far from home, and you are facing unfamiliar laws and court procedures. What’s worse is, such a conviction could follow you. It may impact your driver’s license in your home state. Not just that, but it can also affect your job, your insurance, and your future.
But there is a way to steer clear of all this- expungement. It can help you clear your name and your record. However, navigating this process from another state can get quite complex. And that’s where a skilled Pittsburgh DUI attorney comes in to save the day.
DUI Charges for Out-of-State Residents
When you’re an out-of-state resident charged with a DUI in Pennsylvania, you’re automatically subjected to Pennsylvania’s laws. If convicted, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will notify your home state.
So, what are the charges that you will be looking at? Well, a license suspension is inevitable. However, the severity of the suspension will depend on the laws in your home state.
As for Pennsylvania, the state has three tiers of DUI charges that depend on your blood alcohol content (BAC) level. The penalties increase with each tier. They can include imprisonment from 5 days to 2 years, fines, a license suspension for 12 months, installation of an ignition interlocking device for up to one year, and fines ranging from $300 to $5,000!
These charges are quite serious. Moreover, a DUI conviction can appear on background checks, which can lower your chances of employment. Added to that, it also causes your insurance premiums to shoot upwards. So, all you need is a proactive legal defense that is well-aware of state-wide DUI laws. Hence, a Pittsburgh DUI attorney can protect your rights.
Logue Law Group- The Expungement Experts!
The good news is that an eligible DUI charge can be expunged. Expungement is the legal process of having a criminal record sealed or destroyed. Hence, for out-of-state residents, expungement is particularly important. It not only prevents your home state from seeing the conviction, but also allows you to move on with your life, that too, with a clean slate!
That being said, the entire process for expungement is very specific and has strict requirements and deadlines. This is where we at the Logue Law Group can help you. Our in-house Pittsburgh DUI attorneys specialize in DUI cases and expungement.
Our lawyers will first determine your eligibility for expungement. For instance, if this were your first offense, and you did not cause any injuries to anyone, you may be eligible to attend the ARD program, completing which your records will be expunged.
As for the paperwork, our attorneys will file the necessary petitions with the court. They will handle all the paperwork and court filings so that you don’t have to travel back and forth from your state for every court appearance. That’s a strong reason behind hiring a Pittsburgh DUI attorney from the Logue Law Group.
Other than that, our expert attorneys can also dig deep into your case and try to cross-examine every potential area that can help them craft a strong defense. From challenging the breathalyzers to questioning the validity of the sobriety tests, our attorneys won’t leave any stone unturned if you are eligible for an expungement! So, stay calm when you’re being booked, exercise your right to remain silent, and call us at 844.PITT.DUI for a free consultation with our Pittsburgh DUI attorneys.