If You Get A Boating DUI

You don't have to be driving a car to be charged with drunk driving. If you get a boating DUI, you will get into enough trouble that you need to call a DUI lawyer. Just as driving your car or another vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is against the law, so is boating under the influence. Operating a boat or another maritime vessel is illegal if your blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08% or greater. According to your own personal circumstances with your case, when you speak to a knowledgeable DUI lawyer immediately he will help to protect your rights and might also possibly have the charge reduced to a lesser offence or dismissed.

Misdemeanor Charge

Most of the time the DUI is considered a misdemeanor, particularly if it is your first offense. A boating DUI is oftentimes termed as a BUI - which means boating under the influence or boating while intoxicated. When you repeatedly boat while under the influence or intoxicated and are also arrested three times in ten years, you're likely to be arrested for a felony. Any boating DUI charge can cause someone to incur jail time, steep fines, and other penalties. Generally, the more serious your DUI boating charge is, the greater will be the potential for you serving time in jail or paying out extremely high fees. The courts also will suspend your boating privileges until your DUI case is settled. It is possible that the court will likely suspend your driver's license, even though you weren't driving a motor vehicle when you were arrested. Any penalties that you can incur while receiving a traditional DUI also apply to boating.

A BUI Is Serious

BUI isn't a DUI charge, yet when you're charged with boating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol it is a serious issue. When you're linked to DUI on the water, you will find extremely serious consequences. The penalties can range from a misdemeanor charge to a felony charge for habitual offenders. Fines that you'll face for boating while drunk can run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Based on the circumstances with your individual case and just how serious the charge is, you may be jailed for as low as a few months up to a year or maybe more. In California, passengers on a boat are able to consume alcohol, although passengers in a car in California cannot drink from an open container. Aside from this difference, the laws governing boating while drinking are nearly the same as those for driving while drinking. Often, when someone is charged with BUI, it will be because they have drawn the interest of the Coast Guard or some other waterway officers by boating recklessly or speeding.

Legal Defenses For Boating While Drunk

Never assume all persons that are accused of boating while drunk are guilty. Your DUI lawyer will formulate a defense to aid you that is based on all of the facts found in your case. Sometimes the breathalyzer, the equipment used for determining drunkenness, has a maintenance issue or is faulty and can cause your test results to be erroneous. Speaking with your DUI lawyer should help him to determine which defense would be the best for your particular situation.

BUI is basically driving under the influence while in a boat, and it is a severe charge. Contacting your DUI lawyer at the earliest opportunity following your arrest for DUI while boating is vital to the successful outcome of your case.


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