DUI & Driving Under The Influence:
If Convicted of DUI :
Jonathan, 20, of Birmingham: First conviction, three years' formal probation, $2,323 fine, two days in jail, first-offender drinking-driver program, driver's license restricted.

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What is a DUI? :
The various versions of driving under the influence generally constitute a misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year in jail) . However, the offense may be elevated to a felony (punishable by a longer term in state prison) if the incident caused serious injury (felony DUI), death (vehicular manslaughter or vehicular homicide), or extensive property damage (a state specified dollar amount) or if the defendant has a designated number of prior DUI convictions within a given time period (commonly, 3 prior convictions within 7 years). California, which is being followed by a growing number of states, now charges second-degree murder where the legal state of mind of malice exists -- that is, where the defendant exhibited a reckless indifference to the lives of others.

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