Denver Habitual Traffic Offender Lawyer
Over 45,000 Americans die and 5.4 million people are injured each year in traffic collisions, creating an economic loss of $500 billion. In an effort to curb these losses here in Colorado, lawmakers in 2010 created the habitual traffic offender law. Individuals who have been designated as habitual traffic offenders face severe penalties if they are caught behind the wheel. If you were arrested for driving as a habitual traffic offender, you may be facing up to 18 months in jail. It is strongly recommended that you work with a Denver habitual traffic offender lawyer to minimize these penalties. Reid DeChant at DeChant Law can help you figure out your options.
Being Labeled as a Habitual Traffic Offender
A Colorado driver who is convicted of three habitual traffic offender (HTO) infractions within a seven year period can be declared a habitual traffic offender. Infractions that fall under this category include:
- DUI
- DUI per se
- DUI drugs
- DWAI
- Reckless driving
- Driving with a suspended license
- Driving with a revoked license
- Providing false information to the DMV
- Vehicular assault
- Vehicular homicide
- Vehicular manslaughter
- Criminally negligent homicide
- Aggravated motor vehicle theft
- Hit and run causing injury
- Hit and run causing death
Penalties For Driving as a Habitual Traffic Offender
The Department of Motor Vehicles strips habitual traffic offenders of the privilege to drive for five years, in addition to other penalties. Those who violate the habitual traffic offender law and drive during this time can be charged with a mandatory jail sentence of 30 days and a maximum sentence of 18 months. Fines can reach as high as $5,000. However, in some cases it may be possible to have this sentence suspended in lieu of completing 40 to 300 hours of community service. But if the incident in which you were caught driving as a habitual traffic offender involved another major moving violation, such as a DUI or hit and run, you can be charged with aggravated driving as a habitual offender. As a class 1 misdemeanor, the penalties for this conviction are severe: a mandatory minimum jail sentence of 60 days, with a maximum sentence of 18 months. And if convicted, this sentence cannot be suspended in lieu of community service.
Call a Denver Habitual Traffic Offender Lawyer Today for Legal Help
If you are being charged as a habitual traffic offender, or were recently pulled over for driving as a habitual traffic offender before your five year period of no driving was completed, you need to call an attorney as soon as possible. Not only are you facing jail time and heavy fines, but your vehicle can be seized—permanently. But you do have options for mounting a defense. The traffic stop may have been performed without probable cause, or the sobriety test for a DUI conviction may have been improperly conducted. Driving as a habitual traffic offender is a serious criminal offense that needs to be handled by an experienced Denver habitual traffic offender lawyer. Call Reid DeChant at DeChant law today at 720-634-6789 for a free consultation.
