It’s one of those love-it-or-hate-it events on the calendar: Valentine’s Day. For those people in happy, committed relationships, it’s a wonderful day on which to relive memories of the first date or first kiss, and perhaps make new memories. For those who are newly divorced or who have recently been left behind by a boyfriend or girlfriend, the day can seem like a 24-hour-long announcement: “You’re single!”
Alcohol can be a part of all of those Valentine’s Day variations, serving as a way to toast happiness together or to damn the person who departed your life. Either way, it’s a good idea to drink in moderation and to avoid driving after consuming alcohol. There are few better ways to ruin a fun date or to compound woes than to be pulled over by Denver police on suspicion of DUI.
No matter which Colorado law enforcement agency pulls you over, there will be little love shown by the officer if there is evidence that you are impaired. If an officer can smell alcohol on your breath, you might well be asked to take a breath or blood test to help determine the amount of alcohol in your system.
If your BAC (blood alcohol content) is at or above 0.08 percent, you will likely be charged with driving under the influence. Once charged, you face a number of painful potential penalties if you are found guilty. For a first offense DUI, you face a Colorado driver’s license suspension of 9 months. Even worse, you face the possibility of jail time: anywhere from 5 days to a year for a first offense.
If you make a mistake and get a DUI, or if the officer makes a mistake and wrongly arrests you for drunken driving, speak with a Denver attorney experienced in DUI defense. They love the law and they love helping people.