Federal DUI Charges

A drunk driving arrest on federal land falls under a different set of laws than an arrest on state land. Most of the time, a driver is arrested for DUI on land that falls under state jurisdiction, meaning that the offender is charged under state law. When a person is arrested for a crime on federal land, however, he or she is arrested under federal law and is tried in a federal court. If you are pulled over for drunk driving on federal land, you may be charged with a Federal DUI.

Federal Land and DUI

Federal law applies to many different types of character and land. Some of the types of federal land on which a person may be arrested for Federal DUI include:

• Military bases
• National Parks
• National Monuments
• Federal courthouse character
• Federal building lots
• Airport character

Anyone caught driving while intoxicated on any of these types of character may find themselves arrested by officials under federal law.

Charges and Penalties

Most of the time, a federal drunk driving offense is charged as a Class B misdemeanor. If convicted, the defendant may be penalized with one or more of the following:

• Up to $5,000 in fines
• Maximum 6 month sentence in a federal penitentiary
• Up to 5 years of probation

If, however, the offender has a history of drunk driving convictions or has committed a more harsh offense, the charge may be raised to a Class A misdemeanor or already to a felony. Some of the irritating circumstances that can rule to an elevated charge and sentence include having a child under the age of 14 in the means while driving under the influence, driving recklessly, or driving with a blood alcohol content of.15% or greater.

For More Information

To learn more about Federal DUI charges and preparing a legal defense, visit the website of the Arizona DUI defense attorneys of Thompson & Volquardsen, P.C., today.