What Are The Penalties for a DUI?
DUI penalties are more serious than you think.
Getting a DUI is serious business. First-time offenders need to know what to expect before they go to court so that they can be prepared for what they are getting into. The most basic penalties for a DUI include fines, license suspension, probation, and jail time. Of course, first-time offenders aren’t always sent to jail but the new interest in ‘zero tolerance’ has created a lot more room for examples to be made of all offenders.
There is no guaranteed way to avoid DUI penalties when you are charged, but having a qualified DUI lawyer is definitely a good start.
DUI penalties and can become expensive. Defendants can easily pay more than $5,000 for a first offense, which is no small change. You will have to pay court costs, fines for the charges, reinstatement fees, vehiclerepossession expenses if your car is impounded, and more. One of the easiest ways to avoid trouble is to submit to testing for blood alcohol content when you are asked. Some people think that they have the right to refuse thistest but the reality of the situation is that a refusal of DUI testing is practically the same as an admission of guilt.
What should you do about DUI penalties?
In order to avoid severe DUI penalties, you should hire a qualified DUI attorney who can help you get the defense that you need. You can build a case and find out everything that you need to know about getting in the good graces of the court system so that you don’t get the book thrown at you. Any criminal matter requires you to have a lawyer on hand, and a DUI in many states is considered a criminal court case, even if it is just a traffic violation.
Most states have a mandatory sentence of 24 to 72 hours in jail for first-time offenders, although bail is usually offered and some states will allow this time to be transferred to community service instead of actual time served. Knowing your exact DUI penalties isn’t really possible until you go to court and hire the right lawyer to fight your case. Some people will have different outcomes than others, but no one is ever going to be safe without a qualified attorney. Getting DUI penalties is serious and you need to figure out the best way to handle your situation, including finding the right DUI lawyer to assist with your case.
There’s always a way out, even with DUI penalties.
About the Author: Kenneth M. Hallum is a Santa Barbara DUI Attorney dedicated to the practice of DUI law. If you found this article helpful you might like to visit HallumLaw where you’ll find more information about DUI penalties, plea bargain DUI and DUI Santa Barbara.