In Nevada, you can get charged with either a misdemeanor or felony drunk driving arrest charge. As any competent Las Vegas DUI attorney can tell you, there’s a world of difference between the two charges. You probably already know that a felony is a very serious charge that can haunt you as you attempt to seek employment or to move on from past mistakes. Fortunately, you’re more likely to get a misdemeanor charge at first, with one major exception.
While you’ll typically only get a felony after your third DUI, you could get charged with a felony if your DUI caused significant bodily harm or death to a third party. In other words, the Nevada law is set up so that a perpetrator is punished more severely as they receive more and more DUIs, but it has zero tolerance for anyone whose drunk driving harms others so seriously. You’ll certainly need a quality DUI lawyer in Las Vegas if you’re facing a felony charge.
As for the differences between a misdemeanor and a felony drunk driving arrest charge, you’ll find that the main difference is simply the severity of your penalties. Compared to a misdemeanor, you’re almost guaranteed to have a longer jail sentence, a bigger fine, more mandatory alcohol classes, and a longer suspension of your license with a felony charge. The other big difference is that the criminal case against you in a felony will result in a jury trial, because it’s such a serious crime. No matter what, having a quality Las Vegas DUI lawyer on your side could make all the difference.
