What Happens After Accused of DUI

It is a matter of fact that getting arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) can tend to be a really frustrating and confusing procedure. Several undesirable and costly things can follow for which you may need to hire your DUI attorney Marietta. Imprisonment, court appearances, cancellation of driver’s license, and fines are some of the few pricy highlights that are often found to follow the arrests for DUI. 

So, in order to protect yourself from getting overly drunk and driving and to realise when it’s actually time to take the help of a good DUI lawyer, you need to know and understand the consequences of getting accused of a DUI charge. 

• You will be Arrested

If you are suspected of drinking and driving and if you fail in the breathalyzer test, you will first be arrested and pulled to the police station. There you may require being fingerprinted and submitting your photograph. Depending on your state laws, you may be released from jail immediately after that, if somebody comes and bails you out. 

• You Have to Appear in the Court

When you are arrested for a DUI charge, you would be handed over a ticket, which will have your summon dates at the court for facing the trials. You will be provided every opportunity to hire your Cobb County DUI attorney, who can help in reducing the penalties and fines against you. A well-trained and experienced DUI attorney Marietta can even help in defending the DUI charge levied against you. 

• Your Driver’s License will be Cancelled

According to the laws of almost all the states, your driver’s license may be cancelled for a specific time period, even if it’s your first conviction. After you get arrested, you will be given a temporary driver’s license, which will expire right on your summon date at the court. The duration of the license cancellation may vary depending upon the place of your arrest and your particular offence. The period of cancellation may even vary on the basis of if or not the court convicted you of DUI. If you refuse the breathalyzer or blood test at the time of the arrest, your driver’s license might get cancelled for an even longer duration. 

In certain cases, the accused driver may gain the temporary driving license during the cancellation period by filling an application for a ‘Restricted License’. This kind of a driver’s license will let you drive within specific timeframes and under certain conditions. 

• You will Have to Pay a Hefty Fine

If you get convicted of a DUI charge by the court, a section of the sentence is likely to involve a hefty penalty. The court may set your fine amount based on the state’s maximum and minimum fine limits for DUI. However, the set penalty can be increased by certain other circumstances. This may include a fellow driver’s property damage or potential injury in the accident. That said, however, with the help and support of a good DUI lawyer Cobb County GA, you can get the fines levied against you reduced to a certain extent. 

• Your Automotive Insurance will Increase

If you happen to get convicted of a DUI charge, there are chances that it can have an adverse effect on the different kinds of insurance. Most individuals arrested for a DUI charge usually face a hike in their auto insurance. Your present insurance firm might even drop you altogether after a DUI charge and you may require finding a new automotive insurance provider. An arrest for DUI, in certain cases, can even make the life insurance policy costs go up as well. 

After going through the legal procedures for a DUI charge, you will require getting a unique insurance policy, called SR-22 insurance. This insurance will verify that you possess the liability insurance.  

• You May be Taken to Jail

In many states, imprisonment terms are compulsory for the first-time DUI offenders as well. In general, the imprisonment duration for the first-time offenders is a couple of days. However, for the repeat DUI offenders, imprisonment term is longer and mandatory. Again, if the DUI case involves serious circumstances, your term of imprisonment may even increase further. 

• You Might Require Completing the Probation Terms

Even if a DUI accused driver isn’t sentenced to imprisonment, s/he will be issued a sentence of probation, whose terms will be specified by the judge. In case a DUI convicted driver fails to cater to the probation terms, s/he may have to suffer imprisonment. 

• You Will Have to Go to a Drunk Driving School

According to almost every jurisdiction, a DUI convicted driver, who wants his/her driver’s license back, must complete a drug and alcohol education course in a reputed drunk driving school. Enrolling in these courses involves a small fee, which is supposed to be paid by the DUI convicted driver himself/herself.