Any driver in the State of Colorado that is arrested, charged and convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) can face severe penalties include serious fines, the suspension of their driver’s license, or even jail time. However, in certain circumstances, a person charged with a DUI may be offered a plea deal. A plea deal is an agreement between the prosecutor and the person charged with a DUI for a reduced sentence in exchange for the defendant pleading guilty to the DUI charge. One of these types of plea deal agreements is called a wet reckless.
Colorado DUI Laws
Penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol under the Colorado Drunk Driving Laws can be severe. The standard legal limit for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08%. In Colorado, if you are pulled over by a police officer while operating a motor vehicle and have a BAC over 0.08% you will be arrested and charged with a DUI.
DUI Penalties
For your first DUI offense, you may receive finds of $300-$1,000 dollars, possible jail time of 5 days to 1 year, and a license suspension for a year. Second DUI offenses may result in court fines of $500 to $1,500, jail time of 90 days to 1 year, and a license suspension of 1 year. Any subsequent offenses can include even steeper fines or jail time.
Wet Reckless
A wet reckless charge is one offered by a prosecutor in certain circumstances for a defendant facing a DUI charge. A prosecutor will offer that in exchange for the defendant pleading guilty, the DUI charge will be reduced to reckless driving. While still serious, a reckless driving charge is not nearly as severe of a charge as a DUI. The reason that prosecutors will offer this plea deal is to avoid the lengthy and complicated trials that oftentimes accompany a DUI charge.
Wet reckless charges are also less severe than DUI charges. Typical first offense reckless driving charges will face penalties of only a $300 fine and up to 90 days in jail.
Wet Reckless Not Always Offered
The opportunity of a plea deal to have a reckless driving charge is not always offered by a prosecutor. In fact, the most typical times they are offered is when the defendant does not have a prior criminal record and when a prosecutor has weak evidence against the defendant regarding the DUI charge. Therefore, it may not be wise to take the plea deal because there is a chance that the prosecutor may not be able to prove their case.
Contact an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney
If you are facing a DUI charge in the State of Colorado, you may be offered a plea deal. Before you make any agreement with a prosecutor, contact a Boulder DUI attorney at The Moorhead Law Group at (303) 447-1400 or online today to discuss your legal options and your next steps.