DUI Attorney in Rawlins, Wyoming
A DUI charge in Rawlins brings a court date, a possible license suspension, and weeks of uncertainty about your job and your ability to drive. A Rawlins DUI lawyer at Lazzari Legal will explain what you are facing, review how the stop and the testing were handled, and lay out the options in front of you. Knowing where your case stands is the first step toward deciding what to do next.
Schedule a free consultation
Google Rating
4.9 
She is kind, compassionate, smart, and a fighter!
Transparent
Flat Rate Pricing
1000+ Cases
Resolved
DUI Charge Levels in Carbon County and What Each One Carries
What you are facing depends less on the night itself than on what came before it. Wyoming’s DUI statute, W.S. § 31-5-233, ties penalties to how many prior convictions sit on your record within the past ten years, and a first offense and a fourth are not variations of the same charge. The threshold is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent for most drivers, though it drops to 0.04 for commercial license holders and 0.02 for anyone under 21.
- First Offense – A misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail, a fine reaching $750, and a 90-day license suspension. Many first-time defendants serve no jail time at all. The conviction still stays on your record, and it counts against you if there is ever a second.
- Second Offense Within Ten Years – Still a misdemeanor, but the sentencing floor changes. Wyoming requires a minimum period of incarceration of 7 days at this stage, the suspension extends to a full year, and ignition interlock requirements typically attach.
- Third Offense Within Ten Years – Fines can climb and the minimum jail time for this offense is anywhere from 15-30 days depending on whether you have participated in specific court-ordered treatment. Prosecutors handle a third file differently from a first, and the room to negotiate narrows considerably.
- Fourth Offense Within Ten Years – The charge becomes a felony. Prison rather than jail, exposure measured in years, and a fine that can reach five figures. At this point, a DUI stops being a driving offense and becomes a felony record.
- Elevated Test Results – A substantially high reading brings added consequences even on a first offense, most often mandatory interlock installation for a set period after your license is restored.
These figures describe the ceiling, not the likely outcome in any particular case. A Rawlins DUI attorney at Lazzari Legal will look at the reason for the stop, how the field tests were administered, and whether the breath or blood result holds up, then explain where that leaves you.
Working With a Rawlins DUI Lawyer at Lazzari Legal
A Wyoming DUI case is built out of paperwork and measurements. A dashcam recording, an officer’s checklist of roadside tests, a printout from a breath instrument, a maintenance log for that instrument. Every one of those can be requested, read closely, and questioned. That is the work, and it is the reason an arrest in Carbon County is a starting point rather than a conclusion.
- Experience in Carbon County courtrooms – Rawlins Circuit Court has its own expectations, and knowing them shapes strategy. We know how these cases tend to be charged here, what the court looks for at each stage, and where an argument is likely to land.
- Close review of the chemical evidence – A breath or blood result carries weight only if the process behind it was sound. We request calibration and maintenance records for the instrument, the operator’s certification, and the chain of custody on any blood draw.
- Scrutiny of the roadside testing – Field sobriety tests follow a standardized protocol, and departures from it matter. We compare what the report claims happened against what the video actually shows.
- Protecting your ability to drive – For most people in Carbon County, losing a license means losing a way to get to work. We treat your driving privileges as part of the case rather than an afterthought.
- Direct contact with your attorney – You will talk to the lawyer handling your file. Questions get answered, and you will know what is coming next rather than waiting to hear.
An arrest is an allegation, and the state still has to prove every element of it. A Rawlins DUI lawyer at Lazzari Legal will examine how your case was built, tell you plainly what the evidence looks like, and pursue the resolution the facts support.
How We Defend DUI Cases in Rawlins
Questioning the Reason for the Stop
An officer needs a lawful basis to pull you over in the first place. We examine the stated reason against the dashcam footage and the written report, because a stop that cannot be justified puts everything gathered afterward in doubt.
Testing the Field Sobriety Results
Roadside tests are scored by an officer on the side of a highway, often at night and in Wyoming wind. We look at how each test was administered, whether conditions allowed for a fair result, and what the video shows.
Examining the Breath or Blood Analysis
Numbers can be wrong. We obtain the instrument’s calibration and maintenance history, verify the operator was certified, and trace the handling of any blood sample from the draw to the lab.
Addressing the License Consequences
Driving to work is not optional in Carbon County. We take up the suspension side of your case and pursue the options that keep you behind the wheel where the law allows it.
Presenting the Case at Trial
When the state will not offer terms worth accepting, we try the case. Your defense goes to a Carbon County jury clearly and in full.
What Carbon County Clients Say About Lazzari Legal
DUI Cases Our Rawlins Attorneys Handle
No two DUI charges carry the same exposure. Your prior record, the test result, who was in the vehicle, and whether anyone was hurt all change what the state can pursue and what a reasonable outcome looks like. Lazzari Legal defends the full range of impaired driving cases in Carbon County, and a Rawlins DUI lawyer from our firm will tell you where yours falls.
First-Time DUI Offenses
Examining whether the stop was lawful and whether the breath or blood testing holds up, with the goal of limiting jail exposure, fines, and time without a license.
Drug-Related DUIs (DWUI)
Defending allegations of impairment by controlled substances or lawfully prescribed medication, with close attention to blood and urine analysis and the officer’s stated basis for claiming impairment.
DUI with Accidents & Injury
Representing clients in the most serious cases, including aggravated vehicular homicide and charges alleging serious bodily injury, where the state builds its file around crash reconstruction and medical records.
Commercial Driver DUIs (CDL)
Defending drivers held to a 0.04 percent threshold, where a conviction reaches past the criminal case and into a career, and treating the license consequences as central rather than secondary.
Underage DUI (Minor in Possession/MIC)
Handling zero-tolerance charges at the 0.02 percent threshold, along with related alcohol offenses that can follow a young person into college applications and hiring decisions.
From a first citation to a felony file, a Rawlins DUI attorney at Lazzari Legal will build the defense around your circumstances rather than the charge on paper.
Wyoming DUI Penalties by Offense Level
How much you are facing turns on your record. Wyoming counts prior convictions over a ten-year window, and each one raises the floor as well as the ceiling.
- First Offense – A misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $750, and a 90-day license suspension. Many first-time defendants serve no jail time.
- Second Offense (within 10 years) – Still a misdemeanor, but mandatory jail time attaches and the suspension and fine both increase.
- Third Offense (within 10 years) – A misdemeanor with substantially higher mandatory minimums, a longer suspension, and fines running into the thousands.
Alongside the sentence, a conviction triggers ignition interlock requirements that run from six months on a first offense to a lifetime restriction on a fourth. And the conviction itself stays on your record, where employers, landlords, and licensing boards will find it long after the case has closed.
Start Your Rawlins DUI Defense Today
The evidence in your case has a shelf life. Dashcam footage gets overwritten, memories fade, and the deadlines attached to your license do not pause while you decide what to do. A Rawlins DUI lawyer at Lazzari Legal can review what happened and tell you where you stand. Call to arrange a confidential case review.
Speak with a Rawlins DUI attorney today and get a clear strategy for protecting your rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
DUI law in Wyoming leaves people with practical questions that the statutes do not answer directly. Below are several that come up regularly among our Carbon County clients, and a Rawlins DUI lawyer can address the specifics of your situation on a call.
I was arrested on I-80, but I live out of state. Do I have to come back to Rawlins for court?
Usually yes. Your case stays in Carbon County Circuit Court in Rawlins regardless of where you live. Some hearings can be handled by your attorney, and Wyoming reports the conviction to your home state’s licensing agency.
Can I be charged with DUI in Rawlins if I was parked and not driving?
Possibly. Wyoming’s statute covers actual physical control of a vehicle, not just driving. Where you were sitting, whether the engine was running, and where the keys were all matter. There is often more to argue here than people expect.
My arrest happened outside Rawlins. Where will my case be heard?
Carbon County misdemeanor DUI charges are heard in Rawlins Circuit Court, whether the arrest occurred in Sinclair, Saratoga, Hanna, Elk Mountain, or on the interstate. Felony charges begin there and move to District Court.
I drive a company vehicle for a Carbon County employer. Do I have to report the arrest?
Report it promptly. Federal rules require commercial drivers to notify their employer of a conviction, and many local employers require disclosure of an arrest under company policy or their insurance terms. Check your employment agreement.
Related Resources
We're Always Here to Help
No matter what you're facing, you don’t have to go through it alone. Our team is ready to answer your questions, guide you through your options, and provide the support you need—whenever you need it.
Get a Free Consultation