This holiday season, you may have indulged in some holiday festivities, potentially putting yourself behind the wheel after a few too many drinks. If you were pulled over and charged with a DUI this holiday season, you may be worried about the immediate effect of your DUI arrest. But have you considered some of the lasting effects of your DUI?
Penalties and Fines
If you are convicted of a DUI, you will be subject to legal penalties and fines.
Legal Penalties
If you are convicted of a DUI for the first time, you will lose your driver’s license for one year. You also will be required to install an ignition interlock device (IID) on your vehicle and any vehicle that you will drive following the reinstatement of your license.
For a second DUI, you will lose your driver’s license for three years, with a potential jail time of up to one year. A third DUI will result in the loss of your driver’s license indefinitely and potentially another jail term.
You can also sustain additional legal penalties depending on your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) or age at the time of the arrest. If your BAC is above 0.15% or 0.20%, you may be levied additional penalties, such as jail terms. If you are under the age of 21 and have a BAC between 0.02% and 0.08%, then you may lose your license for one year and have to pay a minimum fine of $500 or complete community service.
Financial Penalties
If you are convicted of a DUI, then you can be fined a minimum of $250 for your first offense, $500 for your second offense, or $1000 for your third offense. In addition to these financial penalties, you may also be fined a minimum of $500 and up to a maximum of $1000 for having a minor in the vehicle at the time of your DUI.
Not only will you have to pay for fines levied by the court, but you will also need to pay for the IID installed on your vehicle. Any DUI offense requires IID installation, which you are required to pay for on any vehicle you will drive.
Lifestyle Changes
After your DUI, you may have restricted driving privileges, which can affect how you drive your children to school and extracurriculars, how you get to work, and how you move throughout the world. You may need to rely on public transportation or other methods to travel.
If you are a government employee and have a security clearance, you may lose your security clearance as a result of your DUI and will be unable to perform the duties for your job. This may require you to find a new job in which you will not need a security clearance.
If you were arrested with a DUI with a minor in your vehicle, you will have to explain to that child what happened. You may also have to explain what your IID is to your children after they see it installed in your vehicle. That may affect your relationship with your child or the minor, or their families. Your DUI may also affect how your family travels, your financial situation, and, if you share custody of your children, your child custody status.
If you were ordered community service as a result of your DUI and other violations, then you will have to complete that community service. This may take away time from your family or other relationships as this is a mandatory requirement for your sentence.
Not only is a DUI something that may limit your ability to travel or work, but it might dampen the holiday cheer. Nothing spoils the holidays like a fresh arrest.
What If This Isn’t My First DUI?
If this is your first offense with a DUI, then your fines and penalties are much less than if this isn’t. For example, if you are arrested for a DUI for a third total time or an additional time in a five-year period, then you will have to remain in jail until your trial as you will not be eligible for bail. You may also have additional penalties, such as:
- Possible jail term for up to one year after a second DUI conviction
- Mandatory 10-day minimum jail sentence after a second DUI conviction within ten years
- Mandatory 20-day minimum jail sentence after a second DUI conviction within five years
- Indefinite driver’s license revocation after three DUI convictions within ten years
- Prosecution as a Class 6 felony following a third DUI conviction
- Mandatory 6-month minimum jail sentence after a third DUI conviction within five years
- Mandatory 90-day minimum jail sentence after a third DUI conviction within ten years
- If you are the sole owner of your vehicle, you will have to permanently forfeit ownership of your vehicle after a third DUI conviction within ten years
- Mandatory one-year minimum jail sentence after a fourth DUI conviction
Manassas Criminal Defense Lawyers
Our criminal defense lawyers at Tobias Iszard, PC are experienced in representing those arrested for DUI offenses. We are not afraid to fight for you and your rights.
Were you arrested for a DUI this holiday season? Call our Manassas criminal defense lawyers today at (703) 215-1880 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.
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