How to Avoid a DUI After Drinking Craft Beer

Breweries are a popular trend that is continuing to expand all across the city and state. In fact, there are more than 160 craft beer breweries here in Indianapolis alone! If you plan on enjoying some specially-crafted beers on your next night out, there are some important considerations you need to know first.

Continue reading to learn why craft beers pose a certain danger on the road, and what you can do to avoid such trouble in the future.

Indianapolis Drunk Driving Attorney 317-636-7514

Indianapolis Drunk Driving Attorney 317-636-7514

Craft vs. Draft

Back in the day, most people drank draft beers, such as Coors™ or Budweiser™, since those were the primary options available on tap at the local bars. But now, beer-drinking patrons have the option of choosing from a vast selection of local breweries, whose owners craft their own unique styles of beer. As for comparing drafts to crafts, the major differences are fermentation style, taste, and price. However, one critical difference that is commonly overlooked is alcohol content. This happens to also play a major role in terms of drunk driving.

Craft Beers and Alcohol By Volume

Traditional draft beers, like Budweiser™ and Miller Light™, have a much lower Alcohol By Volume (ABV) content than the average craft beer. Draft beers range between 4 and 6 percent alcohol content, whereas craft beers can range between 7 and 18 percent alcohol content. So what does this mean for your next night out? It means that you should not drive home after consuming more than 1 craft beer.

For example, the Four Day Ray Brewery in Fishers offers a craft beer on tap called FALA Scotch Ale, which has an ABV of 7.8% per pint. They offer another called Grapefruit Track Jumper IPA India Pale Ale, which has an ABV of 6.8% per pint. Similarly, Mashcraft Brewing in Greenwood carries a Double IPA called 18th Street Overlords Revenge that has an ABV of 8% per pint.

Avoiding DUI’s

If you are a craft beer drinker, you should understand that the risk of being arrested on a drunk driving charge is much higher because they will get you more drunk than traditional beers on tap. For instance, the popular “1 drink per hour” rule would not work the same with craft beers as it would with domestic beers. One or two domestic beers might keep you within the legal limits to drive, but the same amount of craft beers will likely render you intoxicated under state law.

In Indiana, a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or more is strictly illegal. If you are pulled over by police, and your breathalyzer test reads more than 0.08 percent, you will be arrested on drunk driving charges. To avoid a DUI, be sure to inquire about ABV’s and keep track of how much you drink. Also, imagine that for each craft beer you drink, it is equal to two or three. When in doubt, even just a little, call a ride.

***In Indiana, a criminal defense attorney has only 10 days to save your driving privileges. So if you are facing DUI charges from a recent arrest, you need to get in touch with a licensed crime lawyer ASAP!

An Indianapolis DUI Lawyer You Can Trust

David E. Lewis Attorney at Law

David E. Lewis Attorney at Law 317-636-7514

Call Attorney David E. Lewis at 317-636-7514 for aggressive DUI criminal defense in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our law firm offers free initial consultations to discuss the best strategies of defense for your case. Avoid the maximum penalties for your misdemeanor criminal charges by calling David E. Lewis, Attorney at Law, today!

Can College Students Face Academic Consequences for DUI Charges?

Criminal Defense Attorney 317-636-7514

Criminal Defense Attorney 317-636-7514

When a regular person is pulled over and arrested on a drunk driving charge, they are likely to face a long list of criminal and civil penalties. These penalties commonly include a generous combination of the following reprimands: fines, court costs, community service, probation, drug screening, victim impact panels, ignition interlock devices, ankle monitors, diversion programs, substance abuse rehabilitation, and more.

However, if a college student is arrested for drunk driving, they are likely to face additional consequences. Not only will they face criminal and civil penalties, they are at risk of being penalized academically as well. Continue reading to learn which consequences a college student may face after being arrested on a DUI charge.

Academic Penalties for Drunk Driving Charges

The academic penalties for college students arrested on drunk driving charges vary among universities, with consequences ranging in severity from non-existent to major. Some colleges do not punish at all for criminal charges acquired inside or outside of campus, while others only penalize students if their DUI took place on campus grounds. But there are also handfuls of colleges that do reprimand students for drunk driving convictions. Many of these universities require students to be judged at an academic court hearing first, at which their penalties will be decided and handed down. Such penalties commonly include one or more of the following:

✏ Academic Probation
✏ Suspension
✏ Drug Counseling
✏ Campus Community Service
✏ Alcohol Education Classes
✏ Diversion Programs
✏ Fines
✏ Expulsion

Penalties That Can Go Beyond College

Criminal charges of any kind can also have life-long consequences for college students in terms of future and career as well. Depending on the type and severity of the crime, a student’s ability to obtain a certain professional licenses can be impacted or even revoked. Careers such as teaching, certified education, law enforcement, health care professionals, legal professionals, and more could be impossible or difficult to achieve with a criminal record. For this reason, it is critical to retain private legal representation to defend your criminal charges.

Defense for Academic Penalties

If you are a college student that was arrested for a DUI, it is important to have an experienced criminal defense lawyer at your academic hearing to help you avoid the maximum penalties. If you know your university reprimands students for criminal convictions, namely drunk driving, it is important to retain legal counsel as soon as possible so your criminal lawyer has time to build you a strong and impactful defense before your academic court hearing.

Indianapolis Criminal Defense Lawyer

David E. Lewis Attorney at Law

David E. Lewis Attorney at Law 317-636-7514

Call David E. Lewis, Attorney at Law, at 317-636-7514 if you are facing DUI charges in Indianapolis, Indiana. He will work around the clock, using every resource in his power, to build you the strongest defense against you pending criminal charges. Our law firm offers free initial consultations to discuss your drunk driving charges and the best strategies for defense. Call us at 317-636-7514 to schedule an appointment with an Indianapolis DUI lawyer you can trust.