What Happens With a DUI Charge?
Statistics demonstrate that a majority of drivers end up behind the wheel of their autos, driving legally above the limit for intoxication. All it takes is a couple of alcoholic drinks to reach the DUI threshold. With this in mind, it is important for all drivers to understand what happens after an arrest for driving under the influence or while intoxicated. Complicated legal challenges of great severity await on different fronts.
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Effects
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The effects of being charged with and convicted of DUI are significant, even if a person is facing such a case for the first time in his or her lifetime. The penalties associated with anything beyond a first time charge and conviction for driving under the influence are extremely severe in the vast majority of jurisdictions. The net effects of being charged with and convicted to a DUI include potential jail (or prison) time, heavy fines and a loss of a drivers license. Some states also authorize a forfeiture of the vehicle that was being driven at the time of the arrest.
Significance
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Beyond the criminal penalties and sanctions that are directly associated with a DUI charge, facing such a crime is significant in a variety of other ways as well. For example, an individual may lose his or her automobile insurance in the aftermath of being charged with or convicted of DUI. More than a few insurance companies will terminate coverage. Many insurance companies won't insure a person with this type of intoxication incident on his or her driving record. Without insurance, a person cannot get a drivers license reinstated. Additionally, a person DUI may find it difficult to obtain employment in certain industries.
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Time Frame
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The negative consequences of being charged with a DUI start immediately. A person so charged will be taken to jail. In the case of a first time DUI, a person likely will be able to bond out on his or her own recognizance. However, in the event that an individual has prior cases, the amount of money needed to bail out may be high. The suspension of a drivers license as a result of being charged (not convicted, but charged) with DUI will take effect within a matter of days if not immediately. In most instances there is very little that can be done to stop such a suspension. All of this occurs before the criminal proceedings even get underway.
Zero Tolerance
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An individual who is facing prosecution for DUI must understand that prosecutors, courts and the a good segment of the general public have adopted a zero tolerance approach to this crime. While there are some cases in which a defendant can engender some genuine sympathy within the criminal justice system, driving under the influence simply is not one of those cases. For this reason, and others as well, it behooves a person charged with DUI to engage the services of a talented, experienced and committed DUI lawyer.
Prevention/Solution
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There is one other aspect of a standard DUI prosecution that needs to kept in mind. The stated public policy is not only to penalize a person charged with such an offense but to take steps to prevent that individual from driving drunk in the future. Therefore, a prevention program is also part of the process. An individual charged with DUI will have to attend alcohol education classes or alcohol treatment programming before a case will be resolved, before a person will be able to regain his or her driving privileges. Programs such as this that used to require an investment of time that could be measured in hours now mandate a violator's attendance for regular sessions for months on end.
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