Your DUI Attorney in Aspen

A Colorado DUI lawyer that fights for you 

Were you arrested for a DUI in Aspen or Pitkin County? If so, you need a DUI attorney in Aspen by your side to defend your rights — and fast. You have only seven days to save your Colorado driver’s license and driving privileges. On top of that, you are now facing potential fees, jail time, and reputational consequences.

Mark Thiessen, the founding DUI defense attorney from Thiessen Law Firm, has the expertise you need for a successful defense when combating a DUI charge in Colorado. Mark is Board-Certified in both DUI Defense by the National College for DUI Defense (as approved through the American Bar Association) and DUI Law by the DUI Defense Lawyers Association. In addition, Mark has also earned the American Chemical Society-Chemistry and the Law’s (ACS-CHAL) Forensic Lawyer-Scientist designation — the highest form of scientific recognition available for lawyers.

What do all these awards and certifications mean for you? Results. Throughout the years, Mark and the team at Thiessen Law firm have won hundreds of “Not Guilty” verdicts and thousands of dismissals for his clients. As a Colorado DUI lawyer, Mark is here to defend your rights and help you save your career, your reputation, and your driving privileges. 

Contact a DUI attorney in Aspen Thiessen Law Firm today by calling or contact us online today for a FREE case evaluation. 

“Because of the seriousness of my DUI case, I felt like my life was unfairly ruined. What made me choose Mark was not only his positive reviews and great record, but when I first met him he was confident, honest, straightforward and very knowledgeable. He definitely knows what he’s doing and will fight for you. He got my case dismissed. I highly recommend Mark Thiessen!”

Satisfied DUI Client
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Types of DUI charges in Colorado 

There is a wide variety of DUI offenses in Colorado. Charges vary depending on your age at the time of arrest, your BAC (Blood Alcohol Content), whether or not you’ve faced prior DUI charges, your state of residence, and more. You also may face mandatory jail time if your BAC was greater than or equal to 0.20%. If you refuse to take a test or your BAC is ≥ .15, you will be designated a persistent drunk driver by the Colorado DMV, even if this is your first offense. All of these charges carry penalties and consequences that extend beyond the initial charge.

Your Thiessen Law Firm DUI attorney in Aspen will have extensive experience in handling all types of DUI Colorado cases, including but not limited to the following. For more information about fines, penalties, and jail time, please click the link to each charge.

• DWAI: DWAI, or Driving While Ability Impaired, is a less serious drunk driving charge 4than DUI. You may be charged with a DWAI in Colorado if you’re caught driving with a BAC that’s higher than 0.05% but less than the legal limit of 0.08%. Even if your BAC is between 0.05% – 0.08%, to be charged with a DWAI, you must have visibly shown signs of impairment or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while driving. You can receive multiple DWAI charges for multiple offenses, with increasing penalties upon conviction(s).
• 1st DUI: DUI, or Driving Under the Influence, is a misdemeanor charge that occurs when you’re caught driving with a BAC of .08% or higher. Penalties increase if you have an especially high BAC (.20% or higher). 
  • DUI per se: Colorado also has an excessive blood alcohol content charge known as a DUI per se if your BAC is over 0.08%. This charge will be added on top of your main DUI charge.

• 2nd DUI: Like a first-time DUI, a 2nd DUI in Colorado is a misdemeanor. Penalties (fines, jail time, license revocation times, etc.) increase with each DUI infraction.
• 3rd DUI: 3rd DUIs are still considered a misdemeanor in Colorado (they are felonies in other states). As with 2nd DUIs, penalties will increase with a 3rd DUI.   
• Felony DUI: If you have 3 prior DUI charges your 4th charge will be a felony charge. You can also be charged with felony DUI if you were involved in an accident that caused injury (see: vehicular assault) or death (see: vehicular homicide). 
• Underage DUI (UDD): UDD, or Underage Drinking and Driving, applies to drivers under the age of 21 with a BAC between .02% and .05%. Sometimes called a “Baby DUI,” UDD is a class A traffic infraction and does carry penalties. 
• DUI-Drugs (DUID): DUID is Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, including marijuana and prescription medication. Individuals receive similar penalties to DWAI and DUI charges for DUID infractions. 
• DUI & Careless Driving: While Careless Driving not technically a DUI charge, it is possible to get DUI charges reduced to that of Careless Driving. 
• Vehicular Assault: DUI vehicular assault is a class 4 felony and occurs when you injure someone while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
• Vehicular Homicide: DUI vehicular homicide is a class 3 felony and occurs when you kill someone while driving under the influence of drugs. You do not have to be driving “recklessly” for this charge to apply. 
• Out-of-State Charges: Thiessen Law Firm also handles DUI charges for individuals who live outside of the state of Colorado, including Out-of-State DWAI, Out-of-State DUI, and Out-of-State Marijuana DUID changes.  

No matter what kind of DUI charge you’re facing, when you work with Thiessen Law Firm, you’ll experience the utmost professionalism during your case. From a first-time DWAI charge to a charge of Vehicular Homicide, we are here to defend you. 

Put your future into the hands of a legal team that is proficient in the rules of evidence, DUI case law and constitutional law, and related scientific and technical areas (including anatomy, physiology, toxicology, chemistry, computer science, biology and physics). Our extensive experience in these areas allow us to fight for our clients harder, more efficiently, and more effectively than the competition. 

Colorado DUI Penalties

Offense	Jail Term Range	Mandatory Jail	Maximum Jail	Period of Probation	Fines	Public Service
1st DWAI	2 days – 180 days	None	180 days	Up to 2 years	$200 – $500	24 – 48 hours
1st DUI	5 days – 1 year	None	1 year	Up to 2 years	$600 – $1,000	48 – 96 hours
2nd Offense – outside of 5 years	10 days – 1 year	10 days	2 years	2 – 4 years	$600 – $1,500	48 – 120 hours
2nd Offense – within 5 years	10 days – 1 year	10 days consecutive	2 years	2 – 4 years	$600 – $1,500	48 – 120 hours
3rd or Subsequent Offense	60 days – 1 year	60 days consecutive	2 years	2 – 4 years	$600 – $1,500	48 – 120 hours
1st UDD	None	None	None	None	$100	Up to 24 hours
DUR Alcohol	30 days – 1 year	30 days	1 year	None	$500 – $1,000	None
1st Alcohol Conviction with a BAC >.200	10 days – 1 year	10 days	1 year	Up to 2 years	$600 – $1,000	48 – 96 hours

Administrative Penalties

Offense	License Suspension / Revocation	Points Assessed
Failed BAC test of .080 or higher	9 months	None
2nd Failed BAC test of .080 or higher	1 year	None
3rd or subsequent Failed BAC test of .080 or higher	2 years	None
1st Refusal	1 year	None
2nd Refusal	2 years	None
3rd or subsequent Refusal	3 years	None
1st DWAI criminal conviction	None	8 points
1st DUI criminal conviction	9 months	12 points
2nd DUI or DWAI criminal conviction in a 5 year period	1 year	DUI -12 points DWAI – 8 points
3rd or subsequent DUI or DWAI criminal conviction	2 years	DUI -12 points DWAI – 8 points
1st UDD (BAC .02 -.049)	3 months – 1st offense6 months – 2nd offense1 year – 3rd or subsequent offense	4 points
Driving Under Revocation / Suspension	1 year	None
2nd Driving Under Revocation / Suspensionconvictions in a 5 year period	3 years	None
3rd Major Traffic Offense in a 7 year period	5 years	None

Additional Penalties for All Offenses

Required:

• Crime Victim Compensation Fund Costs pursuant to 24-4.1-119(c)
• Persistent drunk driver fund surcharge ($100 – $500, unless indigent)
• $20.00 to the traumatic brain injury trust fund
• Rural Substance Abuse Program Fund ($1 – $20, unless indigent)
• Restitution
• Costs of pre and post sentence alcohol and drug evaluation and supervision services
• Up to $120 for community service
• A victim panel is discretionary

How Thiessen Law Firm can help with the Colorado DUI process  

When should you hire a Colorado DUI lawyer? Generally, the sooner you retain a DUI attorney in Aspen in either part of the process, the better. In Colorado, there are two phases of dealing with a DUI: the administrative process (the DMV hearing) and the criminal process (your arraignment, trial, etc.). Your lawyer can help protect you and provide counsel throughout the entire process. 

THE DMV HEARING 

The administrative DMV hearing takes place first and must occur within seven days of your arrest, which is why we say you have seven days to save your license. Contacting a trusted DUI attorney in Aspen helps to ensure that you meet the deadline for your DMV hearing — and other important deadlines  —  in a timely manner. 

Your DMV hearing is your chance to fight against potential license suspension. Having your Aspen DUI lawyer present at your DMV hearing will help them find weaknesses in the case against you and allow them to begin building your defense as soon as possible. They can also challenge whether your traffic stop was even valid.   

THE CRIMINAL PROCESS FOR DUI 

The criminal process begins after your DMV hearing. If you’re facing the following criminal charges in Aspen or Pitkin County, Colorado, and have not hired a DUI defense attorney by this point, it would be especially wise to do so now. A DUI attorney in Aspen can help you pinpoint issues with your arrest, identify problems with blood or breath testing, advise you on what to plea, and defend you at trial. 

The DUI criminal process begins with an arraignment where you are formally charged. Depending on the specifics of your particular case, you may have certain restrictions placed on you including monitored sobriety, travel restrictions, or required meetings with an officer. These restrictions are typically imposed on drivers who have had prior convictions or had a high BAC in the current charge.

Experience the Thiessen Law Firm difference. We will fight for you. 

Not all DUI attorneys in Aspen are the same; who you hire to represent you can make all the difference in your case. Thiessen Law Firm has the rare combination of true investigative skills, negotiating strategy, scientific knowledge, and trial experience to represent you with true excellence. 

Remember: Whether you’re facing a first-time DUI charge or multiple offenses, you only have seven days to save your driver’s license. That’s why it’s best to hire a Colorado DUI lawyer like the trial-tested attorneys at Thiessen Law Firm as soon as possible. 

Whether we take your case to court or negotiate a favorable resolution, we’ll fight to protect your freedom. Call Mark Thiessen at 970-233-9000 or contact us online today for a FREE case evaluation.