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Boating under the influence in Colorado: a slap on the wrist?

On Behalf of | Jul 29, 2019 | Drunk Driving Charges |

You might indeed be lucky enough to merely get that proverbial slap on the wrist (see our blog headline above) from Colorado law enforcers if you were stopped while boating after drinking a certain amount of alcohol.

Conversely, the penalties imposed on you could be more akin to a sledgehammer blow to the head.

Here’s a question: Are the criminal exactions linked with boating under the influence (BUI) in Colorado comparatively muted when compared with DUI outcomes, or are they similar?

Answer: Focus on the end of that preceding sentence. Actually, just note, as underscored in a recent news article addressing Colorado BUI and its potential consequences, that a drinking-while-boating conviction “carries the same penalties” as drunk driving on land.

Most readers of our Shazam Kianpour & Associates criminal defense blog in the Denver area and statewide know well that a behind-the-wheel stop/arrest for drunk driving on any state roadway can yield some truly hefty consequences. If they don’t boat (and perhaps even if they do), they might not equally appreciate the stark downsides linked with BUI.

That aforementioned Colorado Sun piece duly clues them in. It underscores that a BUI conviction can net “thousands in court costs, fines, classes and other expenses.” That “other” category in any given case can span outcomes ranging from jail time, license suspension and community service to ignition interlock installation, jacked insurance premiums and perhaps even job restrictions or dismissal.

Think before you boat. Questions or concerns regarding a BUI stop and linked charges can be addressed to a proven Colorado team of criminal defense attorneys.

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