[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f you ever get charged with a DUI, your life could change drastically if you do not take the right measures and steps to help yourself in that situation. The very first thing you should do upon getting charged with a DUI is getting legal help from an experienced law firm like the NoVa law firm. Without appropriate legal help, you’d find yourself struggling with all the pertaining charges, legal proceedings, fines and court appearances. In addition to a financial drain, you could also potentially harm yourself and your family mentally and socially. If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate aftermath of incurring a DUI, listed below are five things you should be aware of:
1. Know what does a DUI stand for
DUI is an acronym for “driving under the influence” and it essentially means driving or operating a motor vehicle while being impaired by drugs or alcohol and being intoxicated to a particular extent that makes driving unsafe. With alcohol, this extent is defined as the legal limit.
2. Know that you could be arrested
If authorities suspect you of drunk driving, they could take you into custody and place you in jail overnight while taking your photographs and fingerprints for record. In some states in the United States, you may even be released if someone comes to pay off your bail money and take you back home. However, in certain states, jail time has become mandatory and all drunk driving offenders.
3. Know that you would have to appear in court
When you do get arrested, you would probably receive either a ticket or a summons that would contain details about when and where you have to appear in court to face charges regarding your DUI. This is mandatory in all states and it is always better to say the truth and plead guilty, rather than denying the truth and embarrassing yourself when evidence against you is shown in court.
4. Know that you could lose your driving license
If you face a DUI charge for the first time, you could potentially see yourself lose your driving privileges for a certain period of time. Some states in the United States provide people with the privilege of driving to their office or school even during the period when their driving license is revoked. Additionally, if you refuse to cooperate with a field sobriety test, your driver’s license can get suspended immediately without you even appearing in court or appearing before a judge.
5. Know that you’d have to pay fines and serve probation
If you get convicted for a DUI charge, your sentence is likely to include a significant amount of fine that you would be required to pay. All states within the United States have ranges set regarding the minimum and maximum amount of fines that are applicable to drunk driving, but those limits can also be changed every now and then upon discretion by the judge. The more damage you cause while driving under the influence, the higher is your fine going to be. Additionally, if you don’t face jail time in your conviction, you will probably be sentenced to probation and then if you don’t fulfil the terms of probation, you will face jail time eventually.
