Challenging BUIs To Protect Your Operating Privileges
Pennsylvania lawmakers and law enforcement officers do not take boating under the influence (BUI) lightly. In an attempt to prevent the injuries and fatalities that are linked to BUIs, legislators passed BUI laws that carry heavy fines and penalties when enforced by authorities.
Like a DUI conviction, having a BUI conviction on your criminal record can have serious repercussions now and in years ahead. If you are facing this charge, working with our qualified criminal defense lawyers at Decker Bradburn, Attorneys at Law, can help you minimize the impact a charge has on your boating privileges and your future.
What You Need To Know About Boating DUIs
In Pennsylvania, the sentences for BUI convictions are divided into three levels according to factors that include:
- The age of the person drinking while operating the watercraft
- Injuries or fatalities that occurred as a result of alcohol or drug intoxication
- The operator’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
- Whether the operator refused to submit to an alcohol or drug test
BUI penalties can include fines that range from $300 for misdemeanor offenses to $10,000 for more serious offenses. In addition to these fines, offenders can receive probation and jail time, and lose their boating privileges.
Our attorneys are familiar with the strategies law enforcement and prosecutors use when they charge individuals with alcohol or drug boating violations. We scrutinize the circumstances surrounding your arrest to ensure that officers followed protocol. We have a record of success challenging sobriety tests and Breathalyzer results.
You can rely on our legal team to design an aggressive legal approach for your criminal matter because we take these charges seriously.
Talk To Us Today
Concerned about the impact a BUI has on your driving privileges? We will answer this question and others you may have during your free, initial consultation. Reach our State College office online or over the phone at 814-470-8023 to schedule a meeting.