South Carolina Felony DUI Penalties: Serious Consequences Need a Strong Defense

If you’ve been charged with felony DUI in Spartanburg or nearby, chances are you’ve been involved in a severe car accident and you feel as if the whole world is against you.

These feelings are not misleading you. Someone—besides you—is seriously hurt or dead, and you’re facing one of the gravest criminal charges in South Carolina. One thing is certain: you’ve got to overcome your sense of guilt and fear to work as hard as you can to help yourself, right now.

The best place to start is to learn what you’re facing.

Felony DUI Penalties

There are two types of felony DUI, based on harm to the other people in the accident.

• Felony DUI with great bodily injury. You face a mandatory minimum of 30 days in jail up to 15 years in prison; plus a mandatory fine ranging from at least $5,100 up to $10,100. Additional court costs will more than double what you have to pay. For arrests after October 1, 2014, your drivers’ license will be suspended until you are released and enroll in Ignition Interlock. For arrests before that date, your driver’s license is suspended for three years after your release.
• Felony DUI causing death. You face a mandatory minimum of one year in prison, up to 25 years—and you must serve at least 85 percent of whatever prison term the judge hands down. You’ll also get a mandatory fine of at least $10,100, running up to $25,100, which court costs more than double. For arrests after October 1, 2014, your drivers’ license is suspended until you are released and enroll in Ignition Interlock. For earlier arrests, your driver’s license will be suspended for five years after your release.

Or Your Attorney Might Get You Much Less

While it looks bad, all is not lost. Remember, even if you are convicted—except for the mandatory minimum parts of the sentence—you might qualify for probation. And even for the mandatory minimum part, you might also qualify for house arrest. And your DUI attorney may be able to mount a successful defense for your case, as we report elsewhere on this website.

If you’re reading this because you got charged with felony DUI, you need a lawyer. You can learn more about how we might help you in a free meeting about your case. Schedule it by calling us toll-free at 888.230.1841. For more information about these DUI cases and how we can defend them, check out our FREE report, The Terrible Price of a DUI/DUAC Conviction and Defenses You Might Not Know About.