Getting your first DUI or DWI is embarrassing, to say the least. Driving under the influence has consequences and if your only charge is from the DUI (rather than an accident or worse), you should consider yourself lucky.
What are you supposed to do after you get a DUI, though? What should you expect in the days and weeks to come?
If this is your first time navigating the legal system we want to help make it a little bit easier. Read on to learn about what you should expect after you’ve been caught driving under the influence.
You’ll Be Arrested
When a cop catches you driving under the influence, they can’t let you back on the road. They’re going to put you in a cop car and take you to jail for processing. There are various options for what’s going to happen to your car and they’ll be different depending on the cop that finds you.
Sometimes your car will be impounded. Other times you’ll have to wait for a family member or friend to pick the car up and drive it home. Lenient officers may move it to a safe place or let you call someone to move it before you leave.
While you may be able to get out of jail early with bail, it’s not unlikely that you’ll be spending one or two days (if not longer) waiting it out. If you have multiple offenses you’ll have more jail time.
You Should Seek Legal Representation
Whenever you’re involved in a legal issue you’re going to want to find legal representation. They know how the system works and they can help you avoid any extra trouble. They may be able to negotiate your sentence down in ways that you can’t if you’re representing yourself.
You need a lawyer that’s experienced in DUI cases. Not all lawyers are alike and they don’t all have a good track record. Look into your options to find the best DUI lawyer for you.
You’ll Have a Court Date
You’ll have your day in court, ideally with your legal representation by your side. It’s best to follow the lawyer’s advice.
This isn’t a good time to plead not guilty. The officers who arrested you have proof of your crime and it doesn’t look good to lie in court. If you know that you’re guilty and your lawyer advises it, plead guilty. You may get a lighter punishment from a sympathetic judge.
You’ll Receive Your Punishment
You’re probably not going to get off scot-free when you have a DUI. There are several punishments that can happen and you may receive multiple or all of them depending on the situation. Your criminal defense attorney can negotiate, but they can only do so much.
A good lawyer is going to be able to bring your punishment down as far as possible with consideration to your crime.
These are just a few of the potential punishments you can encounter.
Fees and Fines
A DUI is going to be a financial burden. In Michigan, you can be fined as little as $50 and as much as $5000 from the get-go. If it’s your first offense the upper limit is $200. A good lawyer may be able to get that fine closer to the bottom limit but it’s situational.
This isn’t the end of your spending, though. You’ll have to pay any legal fees, pay for any probation, and pay to get your car back if it was impounded. You may have to pay for an alcohol education program.
DUIs aren’t cheap, but you’re lucky if the only cost that you’re bearing is financial.
Jail or Probation
Depending on the level of offense (first, second, third, or greater), you’ll be serving potential jail time.
First-time offenders may not be jailed at all, but they can spend up to 93 days in jail. Second-time offenders have a minimum of 5 days in prison but it can last up to a year.
More serious offenders have more jail time; it goes up from there. Again, this is where it pays to have a good lawyer.
Even if you bypass jail, you’ll still be on probation. This probation period may include the installation of an ignition interlock device (otherwise known as a car breathalyzer).
Points and License Revocation or Suspension
You’ll get points on your license when you get a DUI. Even first-time offenders can get 6 points on their license (of a 12-point system). These points last for 2 years.
You’ll also lose your license for a while. First-time offenders can expect up to 30 days but after that first offense, it jumps to a year.
Community Service
Community service is another common punishment for a DUI. The community service should be related to the crime and the communities that could be impacted by it.
For a DUI, this means something along the lines of highway clean-ups, working with drunk driving programs, or volunteering to speak at anti-drunk driving events in schools or elsewhere.
You’ll Begin an Alcohol Education Program
Alcohol education programs aren’t always required, but they may be able to help your case even if they’re not.
Enrolling in some kind of alcohol, substance, and highway safety program may be able to bring your sentence and punishments down. It shows that you’re willing to improve yourself and your situation and that you’re committed to not repeating the offense.
That said, depending on the level of offense you’ve committed you may be required to take these classes anyway.
Did You Get a DUI? Time to Seek Help
When you get a DUI, a lot of things are going to happen at once. You need good legal representation to support you and guide you through the legal system to bring your sentence down as much as possible.
Driving under the influence always has consequences but you don’t need to navigate your options alone.
If you need a good Michigan DUI lawyer, we want to help. Visit our site for a free consultation so we can work with you.