Getting a Fresno DUI with a BAC of 0.15 Percent or Higher

Learn is 0.15 BAC Level High for a DUI in California

A BAC of 0.15% is relatively high and is nearly double the legal limit. Aside from a regular DUI (.08% or higher), your penalties will increase if you have a BAC of .15% or greater. The government can enhance your charges if they can be proven.

What are Fresno DUI penalties?

If you are charged with your first DUI offense with a BAC of 0.08 percent in Fresno, the penalties that you will likely face, include:

• A term of probation lasting 3-5 years;
• A driver's license suspension;
• A term in jail that could be as much as six months;
• Fines up to $2,500;
• A minimum three-month DUI school;
• Possible installation of an ignition interlock device (IID);
• A $125 license reinstatement fee; and
• Increased auto insurance rates and premiums.

What if you have a BAC of 0.15 Percent or More in California?

However, should you be charged with DUI and it was determined that your BAC is 0.15 percent or greater, you could potentially face enhanced penalties:

• Longer jail time;
• A 10-month driver's license suspension;
• Installation of an IID for up to three years; and
• Up to nine months of attendance at a DUI school.

These penalties are in conjunction with fines and jail time.

Furthermore, if you are found to have a BAC of 0.20 percent or greater, you will face even tougher penalties. In this case, you will be required to attend a DUI School for a period of nine months. No matter what your BAC level might be, if a law enforcement officer asks you to participate in a field sobriety test or chemical test and refuse to do so, you will face additional and/or enhanced penalties associated with your DUI charges.

How Does BAC Affect the Body?

Dr. Kurt Dubowski, a renowned scientist, has provided an outline of the symptoms that are experienced by an average individual according to their BAC. While this data should be used for informational purposes only, it is important to keep in mind how your body and mind react as you consume alcohol.

• 0.01-0.05 Percent: Influence/effects usually not apparent or obvious. Behavior nearly normal by ordinary observation. Impairment may be detectable by special tests.
• 0.03-0.12 Percent: Mild euphoria, sociability, talkativeness. Increased self-confidence; decreased inhibitions. Diminished attention, judgment and control. Some sensory-motor impairment. Slowed information processing. Loss of efficiency in critical performance tests.
• 0.09-0.25 Percent: Emotional instability; loss of critical judgment. Impairment of perception, memory and comprehension. Decreased sensory response; increased reaction time. Reduced visual acuity and peripheral vision; and slow glare recovery. Sensory-motor incoordination; impaired balance; slurred speech; vomiting; drowsiness.
• 0.18-0.30 Percent: Disorientation, mental confusion; vertigo; dysphoria. Exaggerated emotional states, such as fear, rage, grief and others. Disturbances of vision, such as diplopia and of perception of color, form, motion, dimensions. Increased pain threshold. Increased muscular incoordination; staggering gait; ataxia. Apathy and lethargy.
• 0.25-0.40 Percent: General inertia; approaching loss of motor functions. Markedly decreased response to stimuli. Marked muscular incoordination; inability to stand or walk. Vomiting; incontinence of urine and feces. Impaired consciousness; sleep or stupor.
• 0.35-0.50 Percent: Complete unconsciousness; coma; anesthesia. Depressed or abolished reflexes. Subnormal temperature. Impairment of circulation and respiration. Possible death.

Contact an Attorney

If you are facing charges related to a first offense DUI with an elevated alcohol reading of .15% or greater, do not think that your only choice is to plead guilty. It will take a skilled DUI lawyer to get the alcohol down below a .15% to minimize the penalties. Take a moment to contact the DUI attorneys at Wapner Jones, PC and schedule a consultation in order to discuss the facts of your case and be advised of your options. We are ready to talk to you anywhere in Tulare, Madera, and Kings counties, and all across the Central Valley.