Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicating Substances cases or commonly known as Drunk Driving (even if alcohol is not the only factor responsible) are a pretty serious problem in the United States. Despite the heavily enforced laws and regulations being implemented by the local and state governments, DUIs still account for most of the road traffic accidents in the country. Once you have been arrested for the offense, a roller coaster of events will follow. The experience of facing a DUI charge is very harsh, considering that you will have a blemished professional record when found guilty of which. With that said, what can you expect after a DUI arrest?
The Arraignment
It is our constitutional right that when we are arrested, we are innocent until proven guilty and that you have the right to an attorney, in this case, a DUI lawyer. However, once you arrested and a blood test proves that your blood alcohol level is above 0.08%, regardless of how sober you felt at the time and even if you passed all field sobriety tests, you will be convicted of a DUI charge. During the arraignment, you will be asked to plead guilty or not guilty. During this process, the services of a lawyer may not be necessary, but just to be safe, you need one at every step of the way. If you plead guilty and enter a plea bargain, you may be able to avoid jail time and lessen the sentence – that is, if you somehow manage to avoid any untoward incidents during the ordeal and if it is your first offense. Some states usually treat first offenses as misdemeanors, while some prosecutors will lighten the charge and may turn it into a reckless driving charge instead.
It is our constitutional right that when we are arrested, we are innocent until proven guilty and that you have the right to an attorney, in this case, a DUI lawyer. However, once you arrested and a blood test proves that your blood alcohol level is above 0.08%, regardless of how sober you felt at the time and even if you passed all field sobriety tests, you will be convicted of a DUI charge. During the arraignment, you will be asked to plead guilty or not guilty. During this process, the services of a lawyer may not be necessary, but just to be safe, you need one at every step of the way. If you plead guilty and enter a plea bargain, you may be able to avoid jail time and lessen the sentence – that is, if you somehow manage to avoid any untoward incidents during the ordeal and if it is your first offense. Some states usually treat first offenses as misdemeanors, while some prosecutors will lighten the charge and may turn it into a reckless driving charge instead.
Penalties
The penalties vary per state, although there are very telling similarities. You will be required to pay fines, compensate the victims of personal injury and property damage and your driver’s license will most likely be suspended for quite a while. Depending on the sentence and charges, one may spend jail time or skip it altogether. It also depends if he is a repeat offender, which in some cases, may no longer be a misdemeanor and will be considered as a felony. The offender may also be enrolled in probation, therapy and alcohol treatment classes as well as counseling in rehabilitation classes. You may also be sent to driving school to learn the dangers of impaired driving. Once you graduate from those classes, you will be back on the road.
Aftermath
Lastly, an offender may be required to pay for SR-22 insurance, a policy strictly for convicted drunk drivers before you can be legally allowed on the road. Its cost is double, or even triple of the current car insurance that you may be paying now. It will also affect your professional record greatly, especially if you have a job that requires driving skills and other security-related occupations. You will also be perceived differently by the society in a rather negative manner.
The penalties vary per state, although there are very telling similarities. You will be required to pay fines, compensate the victims of personal injury and property damage and your driver’s license will most likely be suspended for quite a while. Depending on the sentence and charges, one may spend jail time or skip it altogether. It also depends if he is a repeat offender, which in some cases, may no longer be a misdemeanor and will be considered as a felony. The offender may also be enrolled in probation, therapy and alcohol treatment classes as well as counseling in rehabilitation classes. You may also be sent to driving school to learn the dangers of impaired driving. Once you graduate from those classes, you will be back on the road.
Aftermath
Lastly, an offender may be required to pay for SR-22 insurance, a policy strictly for convicted drunk drivers before you can be legally allowed on the road. Its cost is double, or even triple of the current car insurance that you may be paying now. It will also affect your professional record greatly, especially if you have a job that requires driving skills and other security-related occupations. You will also be perceived differently by the society in a rather negative manner.
