Alcohol-Related Crimes

DUI Charges and Penalties

An overview of DUI (driving under the influence) offense classifications and possible consequences.

Felony DUI Charges

Drunk driving is often referred to as driving under the influence of alcohol, or DUI, but can also be known as as driving while intoxicated, or DWI, or by similar terms.

Open Container Laws

Open container laws prohibit the possession or consumption of open alcoholic beverages in passenger compartments of vehicles. Such laws are intended to discourage driving under the influence (DUI).

Refusing a Breathalyzer or Blood Sample After a DUI Arrest

Refusing to take a test may deprive the prosecution of damning evidence, but it will also usually result in a license suspension. In some situations, a refusal post-arrest can be overcome, and a non-consensual blood test may be allowed.

Public Intoxication Laws and Penalties

Public intoxication, drunk in public, drunk and disorderly conduct—all refer to the same crime that's treated differently in different states.

Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Can Lead to Criminal Charges

Operating any vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants is dangerous, which is why all states have not only drunk driving laws, but also drunk boating laws.

SCRAM Bracelets: Cost and Effectiveness

Alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelets provide a way for courts to oversee people who have been ordered to not drink alcohol. Here's more about how they work, their uses in the legal system, and how much they cost.

Underage DUI/DWI Laws & Penalties

Learn the basics of underage DUI/DWI laws and penalties including information in your state.

Minor in Possession of Alcohol

Minor in possession laws (sometimes called underage drinking laws) target sales of alcohol to minors and public possession of alcohol by minors.

Selling and Supplying Alcohol to Minors

State prohibitions against underage drinking extend further than merely the sale of alcohol. It's also illegal to furnish, supply, provide, or give alcohol to a minor.

Can I Be Charged for a DUI Without Blood Alcohol Evidence?

Although DUI/DWI law can vary from one state to the next, a person can still be prosecuted and convicted for DUI even though a chemical test of the person’s bodily fluids (breath, blood, or urine) is not available to the prosecutor.

Can Police Officers Insist that Intoxicated People Go to Jail or a Hospital to Sober Up?

In many states, police officers have a fair bit of leeway in deciding whether a person is intoxicated and, if so, whether the person should go to jail or a hospital or treatment center until no longer intoxicated.