suhrelaw | October 10, 2016 | Criminal Law
In Indiana, when you are charged with a DUI/OWI offense, you are facing more than just a license suspension from the Court. If you are convicted of a DUI/OWI, you could potentially be facing a maximum license suspension of up to 2 years. If persons were serious injured or killed, the suspension could be as much as five years.
What most people are not aware of is that you could be facing additional license suspensions, depending on your past driving record. In Indiana, the IN BMV could implement additional suspensions by labeling you as a Habitual Traffic Violator (HTV). There are three ways you could be found HTV:
- If you commit two serious traffic-related offenses, such as OWI resulting in Death or Reckless Homicide from the operation of a motor vehicle, within a ten-year period, you will be labeled HTV.
- If you commit three offenses, such as OWI or Reckless Driving, within a ten-year period, you will be labeled HTV.
- If you commit 10 minor traffic violations within a ten year period, you will be labeled HTV.
Depending on the offenses and the severity of those offenses, once you are labeled as HTV, you will be facing either a five or ten year license suspension. Once you have been labeled HTV, if you still drive and charged with driving while HTV, you could be facing a lifetime suspension of your driver’s license.
With all these license suspensions, you may be qualified to petition for Specialized Driving Privileges (SDP) while you are suspended. SDP will allow a suspended driver to drive, in a limited capacity, during their suspension. Privileges are typically granted for work, medical, court-related, and treatment-related activities. SDP normally does not give you unrestricted privileges where you can drive anywhere you want, anytime you want. SDP tend to be very specific in regards to when and where you can drive.
Please call Rock Lee at Suhre & Associates to find out more information.