Reader’s Question:

I know that after being arrested for drunk driving in Reno, Nevada, there are going to be two different cases that will be charged to me. Could you explain to me why there are going to be two separate DUI charges?

Mackenzie

Reno, NV

The two different drunk driving cases that can be charged to you after being arrested for DUI in Reno, Nevada are having blood alcohol content (BAC) that is more than the legal limit of 0.08% and the other one is having your ability to drive impaired. There could be several reasons for being charged with two separate offenses. One reason involves something that most of us have experienced ourselves: alcohol tolerance. There are actually two types of people when it comes to drinking alcohol. One is those who drink large quantities and can somehow still appear relatively sober and the other one is those who have one or two drinks and are, as they say, three sheets to the wind. Being charged with two different offenses allows people in both groups to be convicted of drunk driving.

A person who has high tolerance in alcohol may appear to be sober, and even pass field sobriety tests in spite of having a BAC that exceeds the legal limit. This person, in principle, would be guilty of the first offense, but not necessarily the second. On the opposite, a person may be unable to drive safely even with BAC below the legal limit would be guilty of the second offense but not the first.

Tags: drunk driving laws, DUI, DUI advice, DUI lawyer