Can the penalties for DUI in Indiana be reduced?

The DUI penalties in Indiana need to be taken seriously. Unlike when you get a traffic ticket, pay your fine and go home, when you get a DUI, you could find yourself spending time in a jail cell, losing your drivers license, paying large fines and doing community service. When faced with the myriad of penalties that potentially accompany an Indiana DUI, many people want to know if there is any way to get those penalties reduced.

The reality is, it depends. A prosecutor who is assigned to your case is going to have discretion regarding what he charges you with, and he is going to have discretion over whether or not to make a deal (called a "plea bargain" with you). If the prosecutor is willing to charge you with a lesser charge, then you may receive a less serious penalty. Likewise, if the prosecutor is willing to let you arrange a plea bargain for your DUI in exchange for a light sentence, then you may receive the minimum penalties allowed based on the number of DUI offenses you have. 

It is, however, important to note that there is no "wet reckless" in Indiana. A wet reckless is a special kind of reckless driving charge available in some states, like California. Since there is no wet reckless it may be harder for you to have the charges reduced since there isn't a clear charge designed for DUI pleas. The prosecutor may still be willing to charge you with regular reckless driving, but this depends completely on whether they believe you are worthy of leniency or not.

In order to have the best chance of being able to have your DUI penalties reduced, you should strongly consider speaking with a lawyer for help.