James R. Balmforth: Do You Spend The Night In Jail For A DUI?

It is important to get a DUI lawyer after being pulled over and accused of driving drunk. This is because there are serious penalties that an attorney of this type should help you avoid. Find out some of the most common consequences for drunk driving that you just may avoid by hiring a legal representative.

The most commonly feared penalty is time in jail. You may still be able to avoid this if this is your first charge and you have an otherwise clean record. However, many states are cracking down and insisting that drivers spend at least a few days in jail, and you may even get a month or so, depending on the circumstances. If you wish to avoid this, you need to hire a DUI lawyer fast. Keep in mind that if you have to spend time in jail, you could end up losing your job, so this is more serious than just spending a few nights somewhere you do not want to be.

Of course, the fines are usually more than most people can easily afford. They range from about $500 to $5000, depending on your blood alcohol level, the state you live in, and whether this was your first offense or your third. Either way, you should not have to pay the maximum fines, especially if you simply cannot afford it. You owe it to yourself, your family, and your bank account to reduce the fines you end up having to pay. Considering that the fines go to different entities, such as the court and special funds set up by the state, it is not unusual to at least reduce some of them with a DUI lawyer.

Another common penalty is license suspension. You may think about how this will initially affect you. It means you will not be able to go to your friend’s house, the bar, or the mall. But it also means you cannot go to work or school on your own, as you need to find a ride or take public transport. You may be able to get a conditional license that lets you drive to work or school, but this depends on your state and is not always available. Even with it, though, you drive to the grocery store when you need to, meaning that it is still an inconvenience that you do not want.
Of course, hiring a DUI lawyer will not guarantee that you can get out of the charges. But this will give you the best chance of dismissing the serious consequences you face. So the result is that an attorney is often worth your money.

Daily, many people are arrested for driving under the influence. For some reason, people feel that even though they have consumed alcohol or ingested drugs, their mental state remains at its fullest capacity. They even dare to drive thinking that luck will be on their side and by some miracle, will manage to reach their destination without being arrested. Many times they are proved wrong and are arrested committing their crime.

Well, if you happen to get caught committing your crime, the below is what you should expect to happen.

1. 2 Days 1 Night free stay in jail
When you get pulled over and arrested for a DUI, you will end up staying at least one night in jail, even though it is your first offense. Your car too will get a free nights stay at the local impound lot, but when you are arrested, your mental capacity has been compromised, so you really would not remember about your car. Keeping your car at the impound lot will not be free. In order to get your car out, there are fees that you will need to pay.

2. DMV Hearing
In order to save your license, you will need to hire a DUI lawyer prior to this hearing. Within 10 days of your arrest, you will have to undergo a hearing to determine the state of your license. The law varies from state to state but you should know that you could lose your license because you neglected to take a cab or appoint a designated driver.

3. Court Dates
You will definitely have to appear in court as the judge will need to hear both sides of what had happened. What would happen next is you will get your chance to tell your story, the arresting officer will tell his story and the dashboard camera will also tell its story if necessary.
If you are found to be guilty, and this is not your first offense, you are looking at spending some time in jail. Your driving license too could get revoked, either permanently or for an extended amount of time. If your offense was not serious and no one was injured or killed, then the punishment you will receive should be able to make sure that you do not appear before the court again. These punishments include, DUI School, Fines, Jail or Community Service.

4. Consequences of a DUI
After your conviction, you will find it hard to get affordable insurance and you will need special insurance for DUI drivers. Finding a job too will be a problem as employers tend to hire those who are less of a risk.

Basically, after being arrested and convicted for a DUI, your mobility, your job opportunity and other aspects of life will be affected for many years to come. At the time, you might think that this is a small matter but after a while, you will realize that you will be derived of opportunities because of one mistake. Help yourself by getting a lawyer experienced in DUI and you might be able to lead a normal life again.

The DUI cases or the driving under the influence of either drugs or alcohol has always been one of the major concerns – so the DUI cases are treated as criminal cases be it major or minor. In addition, since the DUI cases are treated as criminal cases anywhere over US, you can well imagine the dire consequences of the cases and thus the need to hire the best DUI lawyers. Other than involving heavy penalties, it may also include spending some time in the jail and giving up your privilege to drive along with the personal freedom. No wonder people dread the DUI cases and try and hire the best possible DUI lawyers – be it the Indianapolis DUI attorneys and the Denver DUI lawyers who will help you before things get complicated and goes completely out of hand as most will complain of an intimidating experience.
But before you are arrested for DUI, the police officer confirms you were under the influence of drug or alcohol and certain test are carried out -the most common being the blood and the urine test. You may also be asked to go through a breath analyzer. You might be asked whether you are under the influence of anything or not, but it is best to avoid these questions as this will go against you in the court and let it be handled by the DUI lawyers.

If you are arrested by a police officer for DUI there are possibilities that you will spend the night in jail as you still don’t have the DUI attorneys till then and even if you don’t have any DUI history! However, the worst part is that you will lose your car as well along with the car being impounded and all necessary fees will be applicable.
So the first thing that you can do is hire DUI attorneys at the first possible chance as you will need an experienced lawyer who knows to deal with these to help you out. It is to be noted out here that you are innocent until proven guilty by the court and you have all the right to hire DUI attorneys to fight for you and it will prove to be advantageous. Generally, after 24 hours of the DUI arrest, you will be required to make a court appearance and you as the defendant will be asked to plea- guilty, not guilty or no contest. However, the consequences of DUI vary from state to state, including the increase in auto insurance. Since the person is emotionally upset at the given time, it is wise to hire DUI lawyers.
Did you know that driving under the influence (DUI) is the leading cause of traffic-related deaths and accidents in the U.S.?

What is driving under the influence (DUI)?

It is when individuals get arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or under the influence of drugs. Individuals guilty of DUI have blood alcohol content (BAC) of more than .05. Moreover, it is one of the common reasons why people get jailed and spend the night in jail.
Depending on the state or jurisdiction where you belong, DUI comes in variety of names like driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating a motor while intoxicated (OWI), driving while impaired (DWI) or operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OMVI).

DUI not only includes alcohol but any intoxicant like narcotics drug or any other drugs which affect our central nervous system.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), about 17,000 individuals died of alcohol-related crashes in 2006 and about 10.2 individuals aged 12 years old and above drive while they are under the influence of illicit drugs.

Statistics show that about 40% Americans got themselves involved in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes during their lifetime, while more than 50% of drivers got arrested for drunk driving.

Did you know that every two minutes, someone got himself injured because of alcohol related accident? Moreover, these accidents and injuries are not only restricted to the lives of drivers and pedestrians but it leads to about 73 billion dollars worth of losses. In 2008, about one-third of drivers got themselves involved in alcohol-related crashes due to drinking and driving.

Because of the rising DUI cases in different states in the U.S. the government has imposed strict tolerance on DUI cases. Even though penalties vary from state to state, there are some common penalties which are universal.

Penalties and associated costs of DUI conviction:

1. For first time conviction, those found guilty of DUI are imprisoned from 24 hours to 11 months and 29 days, penalized from $350 to $1,500 and their drivers’ licenses are revoked for one year.

2. For second time conviction, those found guilty of DUI are imprisoned from 45 days to 11 months and 29 days, penalized from and revocation of drivers’ licenses for two years.

3. For the third conviction, those found guilty are imprisoned from 120 days to 11 months and 29 days, penalized from $1,100 to $10,000 and their drivers’ licenses are revoked for three to 10 years.

4. For fourth conviction, those found guilty are imprisoned for not less than 150 consecutive days, penalized from $3,000 to $15,000 and their drivers’ licenses are revoked for five years.

Other consequences of DUI conviction

• Fines
• Court costs
• Towing of vehicles and payment of storage fees
• Bail
• Professional fees of lawyers
• Mandatory enrollment to alcohol education program
• Driver’s license reinstatement fees
• Higher cost of insurance premiums and SR-22 form
• Payment of ignition interlock program

With the detrimental impact of DUI conviction to your life and your future, it is best that you should avoid drinking if you are driving or you should not drive if you drink.

DUI Lawyer in Utah Free Consultation

When you need legal help with a DUI Charge in Utah, please call Ascent Law LLC for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help defend you against criminal charges.