Third Time DUI in Pennsylvania

For third-time Driving Under the Influence offenders in Pennsylvania, the consequences of a conviction are very serious, and life-changing. If you have been charged with Driving Under the Influence of alcohol or drugs for a third time, you will need an experienced Pittsburgh DUI attorney to help you sort out your options. Call Sean Logue as soon as possible so you know what to say at your arraignment and so your attorney can begin to build a case in your defense.

When determining penalties for a person convicted of Driving Under the Influence, Pennsylvania looks at both your Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) and your previous offenses. Act 24, a Pennsylvania law passed in 2003, mandates that the following penalties be handed down:

• Two or more prior DUI offenses plus a Blood Alcohol Concentration of between 0.08 percent and 0.099 percent make your DUI a second-degree misdemeanor. Penalties are a twelve-month suspension of your driver’s license, ten days to two years in jail, and a fine of $500 to $5,000.
• Two or more prior Driving Under the Influence offenses plus a Blood Alcohol Concentration of between 0.10 percent and 0.159 percent makes your DUI a first-degree misdemeanor. Penalties are one to five years in jail, suspension of your license for eighteen months, and a fine of $1,500 to $10,000.
• Two or more prior Driving Under the Influence offenses plus a BAC of 0.016 percent or above make your DUI a first-degree misdemeanor. Penalties include jail time and fines, as well as drug and alcohol treatment, and the use of an ignition interlock device on your car for one year, installed at your expense. Ignition interlock devices test your breath before allowing you to start your car. If your test shows you have been drinking, your car will not start. The device periodically retests your breath.

Laws passed in 2018 have made some third-time DUI’s felonies. Act 153 adds a new restriction on the licensed drivers in a car with anyone with a learner’s permit: they must not be drunk or high to the point that they are a danger to themselves or others.

Additionally, the new law makes a third or fourth DUI with a BAC higher than 0.159 a felony, which comes with higher fines and longer jail sentences. And, if a driver causes an accident that kills someone else, and it’s a third or fourth DUI, the charge will be a first-degree felony.

Driving without a license or with a suspended license and receiving a third DUI could mean a driver goes to jail for as many as two years longer. The fines and jail sentences for this charge have become higher and longer, though they remain a summary offense.

In addition to handing out penalties to you, the court will tell your insurance company that you have been convicted a third time for Driving Under the Influence. Your insurance rates will rise, likely to an extremely high level that might make it impossible to afford. Finally, you will have a criminal record that will haunt you the rest of your life, negatively impacting your current and future job opportunities.

If you know someone who has been charged for the third time with Driving Under the Influence, that person will need an experienced criminal defense attorney to assist them. The Logue Criminal Defense team is experienced in DUI defense, and serves Pittsburgh, PA, and the surrounding areas, including West Virginia and Ohio. Schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced Pittsburgh Criminal Defense lawyer from Logue Law by calling 844.PITT.DUI or 844.PITT.DUI. If you prefer, we can be contacted online.

Don’t put off calling! Waiting to hire an attorney makes defending your case more difficult, and a good outcome less likely. Call Logue Law Group today to increase the likelihood of getting your case dismissed or your charges reduced.