A felony conviction in Oklahoma can have serious consequences on the rest of your life, the most of obvious of which is that you can be sentenced to incarceration in a state penitentiary for many years. But even if you don’t serve jail time, a felony conviction can have devastating effects on your personal life, in terms of your ability to find employment, rent property and do business with banks, among other things. For this reason, one of the most frequent questions asked by a person charged with a DUI in Oklahoma is whether or not a DUI is a felony in in the state Oklahoma.
The simple answer is that a DUI a can be either a misdemeanor or a felony in Oklahoma.
Felony DUI in Oklahoma
Normally, a first DUI in Oklahoma is a misdemeanor, but there are four general instances in which a DUI offense can become a felony DUI:
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If you have a second DUI in a 10 year period, the second DUI may be classified as felony DUI.
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If you have a DUI that results in substantial bodily injury or the death of another person, that DUI may be charged as a felony DUI.
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If your current DUI is the third or subsequent offense, it will be classified as a felony DUI.
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If you have a child in the car at the time of your DUI offense, you may be charged with a felony DUI.
The penalties for a felony DUI are more severe than for a misdemeanor DUI. If you are convicted of a felony DUI in Oklahoma, you will face one or more the following consequences:
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a suspension of your driver’s license.
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a minimum of one year and up to twenty years in a state penitentiary.
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up to $5000 in fines.
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mandatory alcohol and drug treatment.
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community service.
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an ignition interlock device placed on your car for up to eight years.
The severity of the penalties you receive for a felony DUI conviction in Oklahoma will depend on a number of different factors, among them:
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Any prior alcohol related offenses (DUI, DWI, DUI-D or APC) on your record.
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Your blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of the offense.
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Whether or not your DUI resulted in an accident.
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Whether or not your DUI resulted in serious bodily injury to another person.
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Whether or not your case was filed in a municipal or district court.
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Whether or not you had a child in the car at the time of your offense.
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What judge hears your case.
Initial Consultation: Tulsa DUI Attorney
If you’ve been arrested for a DUI in Oklahoma, it’s time to reach out to a team that knows how the police and prosecutors in Tulsa operate. Just because you’ve been arrested doesn’t mean you don’t have rights. That’s why you need a Tulsa DUI Attorney who can provide skillful assistance in your case.
Simply call our team at the Tulsa Criminal Defense Law Firm at (918) 256-3400 for a no-hassle, confidential consultation. If you prefer the Tulsa DUI attorney to call you or reach you by email, click here to ask your questions via the online consultation request form.