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The Office of the Hopkins County Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of traffic offenses that occur in Hopkins County . These include general traffic violations like speeding and disregarding traffic control devices and more serious charges like failure to maintain liability insurance, operating with a suspended operator's license and, most notably, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or any other substance which impairs driving ability. The Prosecutors in our office prosecute approximately 1,000 DUI cases per year. In addition to case preparation and trial work, our staff presents educational material to the public and training seminars for police officers or others involved in public protection so they can be up-to-date on the latest issues and problems facing DUI detection and prosecution.
DUI is an enhanceable offense. This means that a person who is convicted of a DUI is subject to more serious punishment each time. A person convicted of a first time DUI is not required to serve active jail time. A second offense that occurs within a five-year period of the initial offense requires a minimum of seven (7) days in jail. A third offense requires thirty (30) days in jail. A person convicted of a fourth offense DUI within a five-year period of the initial offense can be sentenced anywhere from one to five years in the state penitentiary.
There are other factors may affect a person's sentence in a DUI case including: the level of his blood alcohol content (legal limit is 0.08 mg/dl), causing physical injury, having a suspended license, traveling with passengers in the vehicle (especially children) and others. Kentucky 's DUI law is contained in the Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 189A.
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