A friend of mine got into a minor accident while DUI and on probation?

Q: A friend of mine just recently got into an accident. He moved slightly into the adjacent lane going about 25-30 mph and hit the side of another car. His BAC was about .11 on a breathalyzer. No one was hurt, and everyone was very accepting of his apology. Unfortunately, he is on probation and only had 2 and a half months left. He is in jail now waiting for the blood work to come back and waiting on a court date. What can we all expect for him as far as sentencing? Is house arrest a possibility? Or are we looking at months of incarceration? (Pittsburgh, PA)

A: Too little information here to advise. Like, why didn’t he make bond on his DUI? Is there a probation detainer? If it is a probation detainer holding him in jail, it is for a prior DUI? Is this a first, second, third DUI? Does he have a prior record? You should see that he is represented by either a private attorney or a public defender. The fact that he was in accident will likely raise his DUI penalties. If this is a 3rd or 4th DUI, his case will go to DUI court. He will likely not have a jail sentence, but DUI court requires strict compliance and monitoring.

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