While we hope that no one ever has to find themselves in a position where they are convicted of a driving under the influence charge, you need to be aware of the potential legal ramifications if you are charged with a DUI. There are several elements that could be legally enforced depending on the ruling of the judge or jury in the court system. Below is a list of the types of actions that you could expect in court if you were convicted of driving under the influence charge.
Victim Impact Panel
This is where you attend presentations of victims of previous driving under the influence accidents. These are non-confrontational presentations meant to inform the person who caused the offense about the ramifications of a DUI.
Jail Time
You could face potential one to two days in a minimum sentence, but it could go up to 364 days in jail as a part of your sentence. In some cases, you could get 15 to 30 days of home monitoring instead of the minimum jail time.
License Suspension
Most will face a 90-day license suspension, but it could increase to two years of a revoked license.
Ignition Interlock Device
This is a device where you are required to blow your breath into a machine before ignition of a motorized vehicle will start. This needs to be done on all of the vehicles you use, including work vehicles.
Fees
People can pay anywhere from $940.50 to $8,845.50 of court costs, fines and various assessments in their legal process.
Insurance Certificate
If you do lose your driving privileges in the process you may be required to secure an SR22 certificate when you are reinstated. These certificates are what the insurance companies offer to high-risk drivers upon reinstatement to prove they are insured.
Probation
You could spend up to 60 months on probation where you have to work with your probation officer to stay in compliance.
Treatment
You could be sentenced to spend time attending treatment meetings to show that you are taking steps towards recovery or if deemed necessary by the court you could be assigned in-patient treatment as opposed to out-patient treatment.
In conclusion, having a driving under the influence charge go through in court can be quite damaging to your personal and professional life. You could potentially have several legal ramifications that will impact your life for at least a year and most likely long after that. It is important that if you get a DUI charge, that you have the right type of legal representation so that you do not expose yourself unnecessarily to these actions. You need an experienced Tacoma DUI firm that can handle your case with ease. Contact Tacoma DUI to see how we can help your situation today.