A Different Standard for Minors with a DUI
A California teenager was arrested for DUI three times in less than two weeks. Police in the San Francisco suburb of Morgan Hill say 19 year old Anthony Maher was arrested three times in eleven days for driving under the influence.
For two of the arrests, investigators say his blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. The California DMV will suspend Maher’s license for one year.
For underage drivers charged with DUI, a different set of laws concerning license suspension apply. The DMV ramifications are even harsher than those for a legal adult. If an underage driver tests at a 0.1% or more on any test, whether in the field or police station, he can lose his license for one year.
In addition, a 1-year suspension for anyone under 21 years of age who refuses to take a preliminary screening test, meaning a field test, will apply. For these drivers, a DUI conviction will be considered as a first DUI, if others occurred within the following 10-year period.
