Are There Alternative Penalties for Colorado DUIs?

Alternative Penalties for Colorado DUIs

Yes, alternative penalties and sentencing can be available in some DUI cases, depending on the circumstances of that case (as well as a driver’s criminal record). When available, these alternatives can significantly reduce the impacts of DUI penalties, potentially allowing people to save money, time and stress in resolving their DUI cases.

Below, we have provided an overview of the some of the more common alternative penalties that can be available in Colorado DUI cases.

While the following information is general in nature, a Boulder DUI attorney at Peter Loyd Weber & Associates is ready to provide you with more specific answers – related to your situation and DUI charges. Simply contact us today to get the information you need to protect your rights and resolve your DUI case.

Colorado DUI Penalties: Alternative Sentencing Options

When discussing alternative penalty options for Colorado DUIs, these options tend to center around alternatives to jail time or incarceration. Most common, possible alternatives may include (but may not be limited to):

• Alcohol treatment programs – These can involve inpatient and outpatient treatment services and alcohol education programs, with the duration and involvement varying (according to the details of the case). When alcohol treatments are invoked as an alternative sentence, it will be up to the convicted individual to cover all costs associated with enrollment and participation in these programs.
• DUI probation – In some circumstances, jail or prison time may be suspended upon the successful completion of all of the terms of DUI probation. Such terms can include (and may not be limited to) paying all DUI court fines, finishing alcohol education classes, completing community service requirements, abiding by license suspensions and obeying all other laws during the course of probation (i.e., not being arrested for or charged with a new crime during the probationary term).
• House arrest – This alternative DUI penalty generally involves wearing a SCRAM ankle bracelet and staying within a certain distance of one’s home for a given period of time. As part of this alternative sentence, there are usually prohibitions on consuming alcohol (and other substances), and SCRAM ankle bracelets can typically detect alcohol (via sweat, etc.).
• Work release, furlough or weekend jail time – When circumstances necessitate that sometime be spent in jail, there still may be alternatives how the sentence is served out. For example, while some people may be allowed to leave during the day to go to work, others may be permitted to serve their sentence out over weekends.

Alternative DUI Penalties: More Important Info

• When alternative DUI penalties may be available – Alternative sentencing for Colorado DUIs is more likely to be an option when no aggravating circumstances (like crashes, injuries or fatalities) are associated with the case and when people don’t have any prior DUIs on their record. In some situations, alternative penalties may also be an option when people express interest in treatment and when the court sees the alternative(s) as preferable to incarceration (so long as the person doesn’t seem to pose a threat to the public).
• What happens when someone fails to follow through in completing these alternative penalties – If alternative DUI sentencing has been handed down, failures to complete the terms of the sentence can lead to more legal problems – possibly even being immediately sent to jail/prison and/or in additional criminal charges being filed.

Let’s Talk about Your Best DUI Defense Options: Contact a Boulder DUI Attorney at Peter Loyd Weber & Associates

Have you or a loved one been charged with a DUI? If so, an experienced Boulder DUI attorney at Peter Loyd Weber & Associates is ready to immediately start defending you. Skilled at protecting our clients and providing them with aggressive defense representation, our lawyers have the skills, knowledge and insight necessary to bring your case to the best possible resolution.

To talk about your defense and how we can help you, call us today at (720) 863-7755 or email us using the contact form on this page.  We offer complimentary consultations, and we take pride in always being available to our clients – 24 hours per day, 7 days per week – so that they have the personal attention their case deserves.