All posts tagged dui

How Getting A DUI Can Mess Up Your Relationships At Work And Home

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/11/10 in On the Road with Comments Off on How Getting A DUI Can Mess Up Your Relationships At Work And Home

The risks of getting a DUI go beyond car accidents and potential injuries. Having it on your record affects your home and work life in several ways. Because it impacts more than just the driver, it’s important to know what can happen when you incur this charge and these are just some of the consequences:

Current Work

DUI charges are often enough to convince an employer to fire someone, but that isn’t the only concern. According to Steve W. Sumner, Attorney At Law, “You have 30 days from the time of your arrest to avoid an automatic suspension.” If that happens, then it could be more difficult to get to work at all and that will make your boss see you as not being reliable. You might also have to spend time in a treatment program or jail, which means that you won’t even be able to make it at all.

Personal Finances

The costs go beyond the impound fees and fines of arrest. Insurance premiums can skyrocket and your credit will likewise be negatively impacted. Rehabilitation is not cheap and if a DUI already reflects poorly on your job, mandatory enrollment could be a major issue. If an accident results in injury or death, then the prices get far worse. Good lawyers can offset a lot of these costs and speed up the recovery process, but even that depends on the case and how much help you need.

Future Work

Getting a DUI means getting a criminal record, which must be reflected on all job applications. Many already know this complication, but if you’re seeking work that requires certification, you might be out of a  job for a while. Professions like teachers, police officers, doctors, and more can suspend licenses before a trial, before treatment, or permanently. By doing so, that is basically them saying that they don’t trust you to perform your duties as you are supposed to do so. Also, you should know that although DUI arrests are only reported for seven years, your potential employer is free to act on any convictions they find.

Family Ties

Besides the potential physical and financial tolls, major emotional effects can wreak havoc on your personal life. Embarrassment and guilt, not to mention mistrust and anxiety over safety, can ruin your relationship with loved ones such as your spouse and children. Time spent in treatment or jail may only drive you further away. Anyone involved incurring depression or PTSD can make recovery even more painful.

DUI arrests and charges alike bring no good to anyone. The effects can have the power to ruin someone’s life, short- and long-term. No matter whether your relationship is coming from your personal or work like, these charges can change your relationships—which is definitely one good reason to avoid drinking and driving.

What to Do If You Have Been Pulled Over for Suspicion of DUI

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/03/14 in On the Road with Comments Off on What to Do If You Have Been Pulled Over for Suspicion of DUI

It is rarely a good thing to be pulled over by the police. If you have been drinking and driving at the time of a traffic stop, you could be charged with a serious crime. What you do when you are pulled over could determine what you are charged with and how many mandatory penalties you may face.

Consent to Breath Tests

Failing to consent to a breath test typically results in a one year license suspension no matter what happens next. Therefore, it is in your best interest to take the test even if you don’t think that you will like the result. Your attorney may be able to convince a judge or jury to disregard it during the legal process. However, it is within your rights to refuse taking a breath test.

Don’t Try to Flee or Become Combative with the Officer

One of the dumbest things you can do is flee from the police. They will chase you and they will catch you. Don’t give them an attitude either. Yes, you may be in some trouble, especially if you have been drinking and driving. Therefore, it will not help you in the slightest bit to give the police officer any kind of attitude.  The bottom line is, if you try to flee the scene or give the officer any kind of attitude this will likely result in additional charges that could be harder to get rid of in a plea bargain. Depending on your criminal past, those charges could trigger additional mandatory jail time or other penalties. So be cooperative and don’t do anything stupid like trying to run away.

Bring up Any Conditions You May Have

A medical condition could make it difficult to walk, could cause you to slur your words or could cause your eyes to twitch uncontrollably. This could also be mistaken as signs that you are drunk or impaired. If you have a medical condition that could mimic signs of alcohol or drug impairment, tell the officer right away. This will make your experience with that police officer go over much smoother than letting them assume that you are impaired. Even if you are taken into custody, your attorney can use this information to your advantage later on.

Call an Attorney Immediately

As soon as you get the chance to do so, you should call an attorney like someone from the Law Offices of J Lee Webb who can provide DUI help in Athens. You will want a DUI attorney because he or she will have specialized knowledge of the subject, which could come in handy during your case. In addition to contacting an attorney, you will want to contact a bail bondsmen if you are eligible for bail.

If you have been pulled over on suspicion of DUI, it doesn’t mean that you are guilty of driving while under the influence. Therefore, your best option is to cooperate and call an attorney as soon as possible. With the help of legal counsel, you may be able to have the charge reduced or dismissed.

A Deadly Combination: The Dangers of Drinking and Driving

by Carsurfer Admin on 2016/01/08 in On the Road with Comments Off on A Deadly Combination: The Dangers of Drinking and Driving

Although everyone in America knows that drunk driving is a problem, many underestimate the dangers of driving drunk and the resulting consequences. Some are unaware of the fact that a person’s driving ability can be severely impaired even without driving over the legal limit. In addition to legal consequences, a person whose driving ability is impaired can pose a real danger to other drivers and passengers.

Why is Alcohol a Problem When Driving?

Many people safely drink in moderation and operate a vehicle afterwards without causing any problems. However, even smaller amounts of alcohol can impair a person who is small in size, has low alcohol tolerance, or takes medications. People with certain medical conditions that impact their reaction time may also experience impairment.

Serious Accidents Can Carry More Severe Charges

Penalties for drunk or impaired driving are severe but are worse when serious injury or death results. A driver that is involved in a car crash that causes severe casualties may face a long jail sentence, eventual civil damages, and severe social stigma. Understanding how severe the consequences might be is something that people need to take into account before their drinking causes a tragedy.

Under the Influence or Impaired?

Many people unfamiliar with the laws don’t realize that driving under the influence and driving while impaired are two different charges. Driving under the influence, which is what most people think of when they think about drunk driving, happens when the driver has a blood alcohol level of .08% or more. However, drivers can also be charged when their BAC is .05% or more, and the alcohol impairs their driving. When this is the case, they face driving while impaired charges.

The Penalties Can Be Severe

Although driving under the influence or impaired have different criteria, both charges can similar sentencing. A DUI can carry a sentence of up to a year while DWAI can result in a 6-month sentence. A jail sentence of this length can have severe personal and financial consequences. Law firms such as Bachus & Schanker Law work with these types of cases regularly.

Consulting with a Lawyer Helps

People facing the sentences and fines associated with driving drunk would do well to consult with an attorney. A lawyer may be able to assist a person facing drunk driving charges so that they can resume living as normal a life as possible. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding a DUI or DWAI charge, seeking an attorney’s advice may make things easier.

Lights in the Rear View: How to Manage a Traffic Violation with Grace

by Anica Oaks on 2015/10/13 in Auto Accident with Comments Off on Lights in the Rear View: How to Manage a Traffic Violation with Grace

You want to feel safe and comfortable in every decision you make, but everyone makes mistakes. Your most recent mistake has led to a traffic violation, and now you feel confused and lost. You never intended to do anything wrong, and the consequences looming in front of you seem unduly strict.

So what can you do to mitigate the consequences without stirring up further trouble?

Below, you’ll find a few strategies you can use to handle your traffic violation gracefully and effectively. Use this information to give yourself the best chance at reducing or even eliminating your legal burden.

1. Analyze the Codes and Laws that Deal with Your Violation

Before you do anything else, research the laws surrounding the traffic violation on your ticket. You need to know what consequences you face. You also need to know if the officer pulled you over for a legitimate reason. The officer may not have followed correct procedure, or he or she may have pulled you over for an action that didn’t quite merit a violation.

2. Hire a Defense Lawyer

Even if you don’t see anything that the officer did wrong, you can still contest the ticket and get a reduced or even dropped sentence. But to accomplish that goal, you will need legal assistance from a professional who knows more about the process than you do.

Hire a defense lawyer to look at the evidence and violation with a more practiced eye. He or she may find flaws that you couldn’t see on your own. Even if you were charged with a more severe infraction like driving-under-the-influence, DUI attorneys at Suhre & Associates and other specialty firms can give you sound legal advice.

3. Record All Details from the Circumstances Surrounding the Violation

Do you have pictures and written testimonies from the incident that led to your ticket? The police likely do, but you’ll do better in court if you have your own records of what happened. So, before you leave the incident scene, take pictures, talk to bystanders, and write down your version of what happened. You’ll need this information later when you build your defense.

But if you don’t have that information, a personal written testimony can still point your lawyer toward the best possible defense.

4. Find out What Devices the Responding Officer Used

Some devices, like certain breathalyzers, could have flaws that undermine the ticket you received. If you know what devices the responding officer used, your lawyer will investigate those devices to see if an error could have occurred. If an error could have led to the officer pulling you over, you may get out of the ticket. Your lawyer can tell you more.

5. Decide If You Should Contest the Violation or Pay Fines

Sometimes it is more graceful—not to mention easier—to pay the fines rather than fight your ticket. For example, if the officer didn’t make any mistakes and the ticket came from a legitimate violation, you might not profit from contesting. You might waste time and resources when you could have just paid the fines.

But before you decide to contest or pay fines, meet with your legal counsel. He or she will advise you on the right decision so you know what steps will take you towards the best outcome.