Cleveland Underage Drinking and Driving Defense Lawyer

Helping Juveniles Arrested for Underage Drinking and Driving Offenses

If your child has been arrested for underage drunk driving, you likely have many concerns as a parent. What are the potential penalties? How with this affect his or her future? How can you avoid future problems with underage drinking and driving offenses? At the Law Office of Hector G. Martinez, Jr. Co., LPA, we are concerned about each client. We address your questions immediately and honestly. More importantly, we go to work immediately to protect your child's interests.

Serious consequences of an underage drunk driving offense can be avoided with the help of an experienced DUI/OVI defense lawyer. Please contact our office by calling 216-586-5491 or 888-335-1398 toll-free to arrange a confidential consultation.

Under 21 Drunk Driving Laws in Ohio

Ohio laws involving underage consumption and underage drunk driving are very harsh. Minors caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .02 percent or higher (but less than .08 percent) will be charged with Operating a Vehicle After Underage Consumption (OVAUC). Underage drunk driving with a BAC over .08 could lead to a conviction for Operating a Vehicle under the Influence (OVI).

Underage drinking and driving offenses carry penalties of up to 30 days in jail, a $250 fine and a license suspension of 90 days or up to two years (for a first offense). Although the prosecution may make you a plea offer, you should strongly consider the implications of the plea. Most initial plea bargains offered to juveniles not represented by a lawyer will still involve a conviction on their criminal record and up to four traffic violation points on their driving record.

A criminal conviction will stay with your child forever, potentially causing future problems with employment, college applications, federal student aid, professional licenses and more. However, our defense lawyer, Hector Martinez Jr., will work tirelessly to keep a conviction off their record.

Whenever possible, we pursue alternative sentencing that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment. This allows juveniles to turn their life around and move past their mistakes without a conviction following them into the future.

The results you need

Charges involving an underage drinking and driving offense should be discussed with an experienced drunk driving defense lawyer immediately. Put our experience in your corner. Contact our office by calling 216-586-5491 or 888-335-1398 toll-free to speak with our DUI/OVI defense attorney. We are available 24 hours a day via answering service to answer your questions.