Rizio and Nelson California Law Blog

DUI Felony Classification

Felonies are crimes that are punishable up to state prison terms. The term length is variable, depending upon the severity of the crime and the criminal record of the offender, and can be low, mid, or high term. A DUI may be a misdemeanor or a felony depending the offender’s criminal background and other variables. The California court system guides DUI convictions and punishments based on applicable...

When is a DUI a felony?

The DUI is a felony if the driver of a vehicle drives while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs and commits a forbidden act or neglects a duty imposed by law in driving the vehicle that was the proximate cause of the traffic accident and injures someone other than himself. However, placement of the fault must be on the driver for the traffic accident. Alcohol or drug impairment without classification...