Four DUI Consequences, And How To Deal With Them
You know that you should never drink and drive, but everyone makes mistakes. Now that you have made one, the best thing you can do is hire a good lawyer, be honest with them, and hope that they are able to negotiate your sentence down. However, you should also use this time -- while awaiting your court date -- to plan for how you'll deal with the possible consequences of being convicted for DUI. Here are four possible, rather-common consequences of DUI charges and some tips for dealing with each one.
Jail Time
Driving while intoxicated is an offense that can come with jail time. Most people who are charged with DUI are not given jail time, but if your BAC was very high, you had a child in the car at the time of the incident, or you are a second-time offender, you may be given jail time as a punishment for driving while intoxicated.
Some tips to help prepare for and handle potential jail time include:
- Let your employer know about your upcoming sentence. You may be let go from your position, but you have a greater chance of keeping your job if you are honest.
- When incarcerated, stay humble. Do not challenge other prisoners or try to get to know them too well. Jail sentences for DUIs are usually only a few days long, so you should not have to worry too much about forming friendships in jail.
- Focus on reading or working out to occupy your mind while locked up.
Keep in mind that, usually, DUI offenders are kept in small, minimal security facilities. You shouldn't be locked up in a high-security prison with ax murderers.
License Revocation
This is more common than a jail sentence. You may have your license revoked for 6 months or a year. A good way to deal with this is to have your lawyer negotiate for a contingent license, which allows you to drive to work -- but nowhere else. Then, at least you can get where you need to go. Arrange to have friends drive you other places, or get a bike and start riding it.
If you cannot get a contingent license to drive to work, start researching bus routes. It may take you a lot longer to get to work on a public bus, but you can use the time to read or listen to podcasts.
Fines
This is another common consequence. Fines for DUIs can be steep -- think several thousand dollars. What if you can't come up with the money when it is due? Many courts will work with you to formulate a payment schedule. You may have to pay $100 or so per week until the entire fine is paid. Alternatively, you can ask a friend to borrow the money to pay your fines. Make sure you write out a contract on paper, and make paying them back a priority.
Community Service
Community service is often assigned in lieu of jail time for first-time offenders and those with lower BAC levels. You may need to take time off from work to complete your community service, so talk to your employer about this ASAP. If they will agree to let you work different hours for a few weeks until your community service is complete, that is ideal. You may lose your job over this -- but at least then you can complete your community service quickly and then move on to finding a new job.
Dealing with the consequences of a DUI is not easy -- that's the point. For more tips, talk to your DUI lawyer. They can let you know what has worked for their previous clients.
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