Goldstein Mehta LLC: Criminal Defense Attorneys
Philadelphia Driving with a Suspended License Charges
Driving with a Suspended License and Driving with a Suspended License while DUI
Criminal Defense Lawyer Zak T. Goldstein, Esquire
The Philadelphia criminal defense lawyers and DUI attorneys of Goldstein Mehta LLC regularly defend clients who are facing both DUI charges and other criminal traffic offenses like Driving with a Suspended License and Driving with a Suspended License while DUI. If you are facing criminal charges, call 267-225-2545 for a complimentary 15-minute criminal defense strategy session. We represent clients in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery, as well as New Jersey. We know the ins and outs of Pennsylvania's complicated DUI and Driving with a Suspended License laws and have represented hundreds, if not thousands, of clients who were facing criminal traffic offenses. We have won these misdemeanor cases at trial, through pre-trial motions to suppress and checkpoint motions, and through the use of speedy trial motions. Our Pennsylvania DUI and criminal traffic offense attorneys are well versed in the law surrounding breath tests, blood tests, refusals, standard field sobriety tests, calibration, and the constitutional issues surrounding motor vehicle stops and DUI checkpoints.
Criminal Charges for Driving on a Suspended License
Most people now realize that DUI convictions have serious consequences. DUI convictions may result in significant jail time, driver's license suspensions, fines, and other penalties. However, many people do not realize how serious it can be to drive on a suspended license which has been suspended due to a DUI conviction. For example, if you do drive on a suspended license or a DUI suspended license, you could be charged with a summary offense or in some circumstances, a more serious crime which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration.
75 Pa.C.S. § 1543(a) makes it a crime to drive on a suspended license. This statute will typically be charged in cases in which the defendant's license was not suspended due to DUI. A violation of 1543(a) is a summary offense and may result in a fine of $200.
75 Pa.C.S. § 1543(b) is a much more serious charge which can be brought when the defendant is alleged to have driven either sober or while intoxicated with a suspended license which was suspended due to a DUI conviction. Although a first offense 1543(b) conviction is only a summary offense, there is a mandatory minimum sentence of 60 days in jail for a conviction, and the court may also impose a $500 fine in addition to court costs. The mandatory minimum sentences escalate rapidly in situations where the defendant is driving on a DUI suspended license and is again DUI. For example, a first offense carries a mandatory minimum of 90 days in jail, a second offense requires six months in jail and becomes a misdemeanor, and a third conviction requires the judge to impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least two years in a state prison. For some of these offenses, the appellate courts have found that the mandatory minimums are unconstitutional. But because the legislature originally enacted the mandatory minimums, judges often still take convictions for these charges very seriously.
Our Philadelphia Criminal Defense Lawyers Can Help
Demetra Mehta, Esq. - Philadelphia DUI Lawyer
Therefore, these charges are far more serious than most people realize and require the skills and expertise of an experienced criminal defense lawyer. The Philadelphia criminal defense lawyers of Goldstein Mehta LLC have tried and won countless DUI and driving on a suspended license while DUI cases. In many cases, there are pre-trial motions to be litigated and potential defenses at trial ranging from motions to suppress, speedy trial motions, operation of the vehicle, and calibration of the chemical testing equipment. You should not assume that just because you have been arrested, you have to plead guilty and go to jail. Instead, you should call one of our experienced DUI lawyers for a free 15-minute DUI and driving with a suspended license defense strategy session. Each case is different, and there may be defenses in your case. Call 267-225-2545 for a free 15-minute criminal defense strategy session today.