DUI / DWI FAQ
Being arrested for DUI is a seriously traumatic experience. Whether or not you were guilty of this offense, the response by law enforcement officers and courts is often completely disproportionate. It often seems as if they are seizing upon the chance to make up for their neglect in other areas by making a public example out of a so-called “drunken driver.” Unfortunately, you may be the one that finds their liberty and financial independence being sacrificed so that some grandstanding judge can guarantee their reelection. This is why you need quick DUI answers to avoid getting victimized.
DUI FAQ
Being pulled over and arrested for a DUI is a serious offense that may result in a number of severe penalties. Even if it is only your first offense, you will be facing a serious charge that could have severe repercussions on your life for at least several years to come. This is not a charge that you want to treat with anything less than total seriousness. If you are facing a DUI trial, or simply want to educate yourself on all of the possible penalties involved, please have a look at this handy FAQ.
How long can you go to jail for drunk driving?
The length of time you can be sentenced to prison for a drunk driving conviction depends on a number of factors. These include whether or not this is your first offense, whether you caused damage to property, and whether or not an accident that you were responsible for resulted in injuries or fatalities. At the moment, you can be sentenced to up to six months in prison for a DUI conviction in every state. This does not mean that this will automatically happen. In most first offense cases, you will normally be given a fine and a length of time on probation. However, the option for prison time exists in every state.
Is drunk driving a felony?
Most DUI offenses, especially first offenses, are considered to be misdemeanors. However, there are certain circumstances under which a DUI can become a felony. If you have prior DUI or DWI convictions, a further arrest will result in a felony case. If other people were injured or killed as a result of an accident you caused, this will raise the level of your case from a misdemeanor to a felony. If you were arrested for DUI while driving with a suspended license, this can also raise your case to the felony level.
Is a second DUI a felony?
In many states, a second DUI will automatically result in a felony case. The number of DUI convictions it takes to reach the felony level will depend on the state you are arrested in. In some states, it may take until the third or fourth DUI conviction to reach the felony level. However, in all states, a second DUI conviction results in significantly higher penalties – such as higher fines and a longer suspension of your driver’s license – that you must pay, regardless of whether or not you are charged with a felony.
Is your license suspended immediately after a DUI?
In many states, the officer who arrests you will give you a DUI citation, which temporarily takes the place of your driver’s license. This citation gives you the privilege of driving for 10 days. However, the officer may also choose to impound your vehicle for 10 days. If you are ultimately convicted of a DUI and this is your first offense, your license may be suspended for a period of six months. If this is not your first offense, or if there are injuries or fatalities involved, your license may be suspended for a longer period of time or even permanently revoked.
Is drunk driving a criminal offense?
A few states, such as New Jersey and Wisconsin, do not consider DUI or DWI as a criminal offense. However, even in these states, you will still face considerable penalties, such as heavy fines and the suspension or permanent loss of your driver’s license. In all other states, DUI and DWI are definitely considered to be legitimate criminal offenses. A DUI or DWI conviction will carry with it severe penalties that could affect the quality of your life for several years to come.
What happens when you get a DUI for the first time?
In most cases, when you get a DUI for the first time, you will be charged with a misdemeanor offense. You can receive up to six months in prison although, in most cases, you are more likely to receive mandatory probation or counseling. You may also be sentenced to pay a fine, complete a number of state-mandated community hours, and receive a suspension of your license for a court-mandated amount of time.
How long do you get your license suspended for a DUI?
If this is your first conviction for a DUI, your driver’s license may be suspended for a period of six months. If this is not your first offense, if there is property damage that you were the cause of, or if there are injuries or fatalities involved, your license may be suspended for a longer period of time. It may even be permanently revoked. If you are convicted of a second DUI, the suspension of your license may last for up to five years, especially if this second offense came within five years of your first conviction.
How much does it cost for a DUI?
It is not really possible to give a “one size fits all” answer to the question of just how much a DUI conviction will cost you. However, in most states, you can expect to have your vehicle impounded for a period of 10 days. Depending on the fees the impound lot charges, you can expect to pay at least $1,000. There is also the matter of the amount you will need to pay to your DUI attorney. Depending on the amount you agree on, you may expect to pay them anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000.
You may be required to take special DUI classes, which may run anywhere from $500 to $1,000. The average DMV fee for the reinstatement of your license is $100. Finally, you will need to consider the long-term increase that will occur when your insurance rates go up. Depending on what the penalties are in this case, you may ultimately be forced to pay anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000 over a period of up to 13 years.
Do you get put on probation for a DUI?
If this is your first conviction for a DUI, you can normally expect to be put on probation for a specified period of time. In most states, the length of your probation will be six months. It should be pointed out that, in some states, you may still be sentenced to serve a short amount of prison time, especially if the circumstances surrounding your offense were especially serious. However, if this is not the case, you can generally expect to serve a specified amount of time on probation, usually accompanied by required attendance at DUI classes and a fine.
How Soon Should You Hire a DUI Lawyer?
If you are facing DUI charges, it’s an excellent idea to hire a DUI lawyer immediately. This is not an area in which you will be qualified to act in your own defense. Your best bet for a positive outcome in your case is to engage the services of a qualified legal professional. A DUI lawyer can help you collect and organize all of the material you need to make use of in order to present your case in the best possible light. They can also determine if the case against you is weak enough to warrant a serious reduction or even dismissal of the charges. The time to hire a lawyer is now.
How to Hire a DUI Lawyer
You can contact us at any time to arrange for a free consultation concerning your case. We will be happy to review your case and give you an honest opinion on your chances of getting the charges reduced or dismissed. We will also give you an honest and accurate quote concerning the cost of representing you at your DUI trial. Feel free to get in touch today in order to learn more about what we can do on your behalf.
Why Is It Sometimes So Hard to Find Straight DUI Answers to Your Questions?
It isn’t that DUI answers are particularly rare and hard to come by. It’s that DUI is a subject that very few people really want to think too hard about. In most cases, if people hear that you had a DUI, they will simply assume you were guilty and that you will soon be paying the penalty for your actions. Few people stop to consider whether or not the charges were justified or if the sentence was too harsh. But these are precisely the kind of questions that you need solid DUI answers to. This is why we have developed the present website. It has been designed to give straight DUI answers to your questions.
Where Do You Go When You Need Quick DUI Answers for All of Your Questions?
There are plenty of resources on the world wide web to check for DUI answers after you have been arrested and charged with this offense. However, if you are looking for a place that has all of the most frequently asked questions in one handy location, try our official DUI Answers page. This is the page where we have gathered the most pressing and relevant questions for people who have been charged with a DUI to look through. After you do so, you will hopefully have a clearer idea of the situation you find yourself in. From this point, you can use the rest of our site to find a DUI lawyer to represent you.
What Is the Legal Definition of a DUI and How Soon Can You Be Charged?
Perhaps the most important of all DUI answers to know is just how much Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) you need to have in your system to be charged with a DUI. The exact amount in all states is 0.08 percent. If you are at or above this level, you will be arrested and charged with a DUI immediately. The evidence that is collected at the site of your arrest will be turned in for analysis and will ultimately wind up being used against you at your upcoming DUI trial. If there are any mistakes made during the collection of this evidence, you will need to note them so that you can tell your DUI lawyer about them.
When Is the Right Time For You to Contact a Qualified DUI Lawyer?
One of the most frequently researched of all DUI answers concerns how soon you should contact a lawyer after your arrest. The answer is immediate. There is no time to lose. The sooner you contact a lawyer to represent you, the sooner you can begin receiving clear and simple DUI answers to all of your most pressing questions. If you are wondering how strong of a case you may have or how severe the penalties you are facing may be, your lawyer is the one you should look to for answers. The sooner you contact a lawyer for an initial consultation, the sooner you can begin to build a case against your charges.
When Can Your Lawyer Begin Giving Solid DUI Answers to Your Questions?
A lawyer can begin to give you solid DUI answers as soon as you contact them. In most cases, you can arrange for a free initial consultation during which you can get DUI answers to questions such as whether your case is strong enough to court or if you should try for a plea bargain. Your lawyer can give you these DUI answers because they are professionally trained in this particular field and have the knowledge and experience to back up their opinions.
It’s A Good Idea to Take These DUI Answers to Heart
These DUI charges will be given to you free of charge during your initial consultation. You should take these DUI answers seriously and base your future actions on them because they will have a serious impact on your ability to get your charges reduced or dismissed. Remember that your conduct during your trial will play a large part in whether or not the judge and jury decide to go lightly on you. Following the legal advice given by your lawyer in the form of DUI answers to your questions is highly recommended.
Can Getting a DUI Have a Negative Impact on Your Professional Career?
One of the most frequent questions that people require DUI answers to is whether or not being convicted of a DUI can have a negative impact on their professional careers. The answer is most certainly yes. For example, if you are a teacher, your state may have the right to dismiss from your position immediately. Even if you cannot be fired on the spot, your school board may decide not to rehire you after the end of the school year. You should also be aware that the DUI conviction on your record will follow you everywhere you go. This will have a severe impact on your chances of getting a new job.
Can Getting a DUI Seriously Impact the Quality of Your Life?
Being convicted of a DUI can do serious damage to the quality of your life. As noted above, you can lose your job. People who search our site for DUI answers are frequently looking for the exact amount of fines and other penalties they can expect to pay if they are convicted. The average amount will vary according to the state you live in, but one thing is clear: The loss of your driver’s license will hamper your ability to get to and from your job. If you lose your job because of your reduced mobility, the bills will certainly begin to pile up. You could lose your car and your home due to debt.
Can You Fight Your DUI Charges and Get Them Dismissed From Your Record?
Perhaps the one question that trumps all other possible DUI answers is whether or not you can successfully fight off a DUI charge. The answer is yes. If the evidence being used against you was faulty or if the officer in your arrest made errors in collecting or interpreting it, the charges against you can be dropped. If you can prove that the penalties that are normally imposed for a DUI conviction would lead to hardship that would seriously impair your ability to provide for yourself or your family, you may be able to get your charges dropped or seriously reduced.
You Can Use Our Website to Find DUI Answers You Can Use to Help Your Case
Perhaps the most important reason to use our website is to find the DUI answers you need to help build a strong case against your pending charges. You can browse through our site to find all of the resources you need to get started on building your DUI defense strategy. Once you have all of the most important DUI answers that you need to start with, you can use the rest of our site to contact a professional DUI lawyer. This is the ultimate goal of our entire site: To enable you to find the lawyer you need to mount a strong enough defense against your charges to get them reduced or even dismissed.
