DUI Jail in Lexington

When someone is arrested for a DUI in Lexington, they usually go to the Lexington County Detention Center on Gibson Road in Lexington County. It is located at the same place as the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the Lexington County Bond Court.

An arrested person can expect that they should have a bond hearing within 24 hours of arrest. During that time, the location where they are kept will depend on where they are housed and who they are housed with, whether they are housed with other individuals with similar crimes, or with people accused of major felonies such as murder.

Read below to learn more about DUI jail in Lexington. And if you are facing charges, call a seasoned DUI lawyer today.

Central Booking in Lexington

Once a person is arrested and brought to the Lexington County Detention Center, they are taken to central booking to have their information entered into the system and be processed into the jail. Central booking is the intake system for the jail for all the people arrested.

Once a person is booked, they are then assigned to the place where they are housed. South Carolina Law requires that people have a bond hearing within 24 hours of their arrest. At the bond hearing, they are in a position to be given a bond and have the ability to post bond and get out of the jail.

Medical Resources Available in Jail

If the arrested individual is injured or needs medical attention, they need to alert the medical nurses on staff. The staff can determine whether they need to be sent to a hospital to be treated for certain things to ensure their medical health is safe.

If someone has specific medical needs, they need to make sure they are seen by nurses and possibly referred to the doctors. A person is usually evaluated by at least a nurse through the process if they identify medical issues.

An arrested individual needs to make sure they explain that they need to be seen by a doctor. They should clearly identify their medical condition and the reasons they need to see a doctor. The DUI jail in Lexington may or may not let them see a doctor. If not, they should contact an attorney to ensure their rights are protected.

Breath Tests in Lexington DUI Jail

When an arrested person is taken to the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department or other agencies, once they get into the detention center, they are taken to the breath test room. Two long hallways face each other with glass and metal where a person can be in a cubby with the breath test machines set up. They are offered the breath test before they are booked because the breath test is part of the evidence that goes towards whether the law enforcement officer has full probable cause for the arrest of DUI.

Some municipalities have their own breath test machines. However, a majority of them in Lexington are done at the Lexington County Detention Center. When the individual gets to the detention center, they are taken to that room to provide a breath sample.

Maximum and Minimum Jail Sentences

A DUI offense does not necessarily have jail-related penalties. Overall penalties come with a criminal offense, but nothing specific as far as the jail other than where a person is housed.

A mandatory minimum sentence is when the judge does not have discretion in reducing the minimum amount of time one must spend in jail. If a mandatory minimum sentence is one year, the judge cannot give a sentence for less than one year.

The minimum amount of time a person could be held at the Lexington jail for a DUI depends on the number of the offense and the level of the blood alcohol content (BAC). For example, someone with a first-offense DUI with a 0.08 BAC level, faces a soft mandatory minimum of 48 hours up to 30 days in jail. A soft mandatory minimum is not a true mandatory minimum because it is suspendable if one does community service.

A true mandatory minimum cannot be suspended in any way to a lesser amount of time or anything like community service. A true mandatory minimum is triggered for a first offense when the person’s blood-alcohol level is above 0.15. If they are convicted, they face a mandatory minimum of 30 days in jail and the judge could not suspend that sentence any lower.

If you have questions about DUI jail in Lexington and how an attorney could protect your rights, call today.