On Your Own; Your Legal Right @ Eighteen On Your Own formatted final version | Page 49

to take a blood sample from that person.
The penalties for drunk driving are severe. It is a criminal offense.
Therefore, anyone convicted of DUI has a permanent criminal record. For
a first offense, the current possible maximum penalty is a $750 fine,
two years in jail, or both. In addition, there is a 90-day license suspension.
If there was a refusal to take the breath test, then the license suspension
is six months. For a second offense, the possible maximum penalty is a
$1,500 fine, two years in jail, or both. There is a mandatory 48-hour jail
sentence for a conviction of a second offense (or 200 hours of
community service). Usually, a person convicted of a second offense is
placed on probation, in addition to the mandatory 48- hour jail sentence.
The length of the license suspension for conviction of a second offense
is 18 months. The length of the suspension cannot be shortened.
A third conviction for DUI is a felony. The possible maximum sentence for
a third conviction is a $2,500 fine, five years in jail, or both. Most people
convicted of a third offense are incarcerated for a significant period. The
length of the license suspension for conviction of a third offense is life. The
criminal penalties for subsequent convictions increase significantly.
Drunk driving is a serious crime. People who are otherwise law-abiding
citizens are in our jails for violating our drunk driving laws. These laws are
tough to protect all of us. Don’t violate them.
The Point System
Driving is a privilege which can be denied to you any time you accumulate
a certain number of points for violations of the motor vehicle laws in
Vermont. Points are given for motor vehicle convictions and are erased
after a specified period (generally two years). The motor vehicle law sets
out a schedule of offenses and the number of points for conviction of
the offense.
When a person accumulates at least 10 points in a two-year period, the
Commissioner of Motor Vehicles initiates suspension proceedings. The
suspension period for this is 10 days for 10 points, 30 days for 15 points, 90
days for 20 points, and for a period increasing by 30 days for each additional
5 points. However, conviction for certain offenses carries a specified
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