In Oklahoma, a felony conviction can result in serious consequences, which will likely affect you for the rest of your life. One of the most feared of these consequences is serving a lengthy term of imprisonment, most likely inside a state penitentiary. When people think about felony charges, they visualize a violent crime of some kind, but a DUI can also be a felony depending upon several factors.
In most cases, an initial DUI in Oklahoma will be charged as a misdemeanor; however, even a first offense can become a felony under certain conditions. Other times, subsequent arrests for DUI can eventually lead to felony charges as well. The following outlines how felony charges can occur in a DUI situation.
-- If convicted of a second DUI within a 10-year time period, Oklahoma law mandates that the second conviction will be a felony-- When driving under the influence results in the death or significant bodily harm to another person, it may be charged as a felony DUI-- Those charged and convicted of three or more DUI offenses will find themselves facing felony DUI charges-- If a person arrested for DUI has a child in the car, fines are doubled and felony charges could be filed
Having one or more DUIs on one's record is bad enough, but felony DUI convictions can ruin a person's reputation and capacity to earn a living. It is imperative that those arrested for driving under the influence reach out to a DUI attorney as soon as possible after their arrest. With help and advice, it is possible to avoid the harshest penalties associated with Oklahoma DUI charges.
Source: Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, "Oklahoma Driver's Manual," accessed June 02, 2015
