You never know when you could find yourself on the side of the road, being accused of driving under the influence (DUI). It is a very serious accusation that carries with it a variety of legal repercussions.
In order to lessen the consequences, it is important to seek out help from a criminal defense lawyer before being sentenced. You may be asking yourself, what is a criminal defense lawyer? They are an attorney at law who specializes in defending those charged with criminal activity.
So what sorts of punishment could you be facing if you do find yourself on the receiving end of a DUI conviction? Here are a few of the most likely:
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- Fine:If you’re lucky enough to be hit with only a misdemeanor first DUI, in the state of California for example, the maximum penalty is a fine of $1,000. There could also be over $2,600 in penalty assessments. The price of consulting or even hiring a criminal defense attorney could pale in comparison to a hefty fine. Not to mention you could lose your license to a six-month suspension.
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- Jail time: On the worse end of the stick, you could be looking at some jail time. In California, even just a first DUI conviction could result in up to six months imprisonment in a county jail. If sent to jail you could end up losing a job or an apartment.
- Probation:Even after you would be released from prison, there’s a good chance you could still end up on probation. If you are arrested again while on probation, you can expect to receive much harsher punishment than from the previous charge.However, if you don’t get in any trouble while on probation, you could be discharged early. in 2012, about 68% of probationers either completed their term, or were discharged early. That was up from 66% the previous year.
While DUI consequences are very serious, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. If you find the right criminal defense lawyer, you could be back on your feet in no time.