If you’re facing DUI charges, you know that it could lead to jail time and the loss of your driver’s license. You also know that you may have to pay some serious financial fines. These are all potential ramifications of a conviction.
But it’s important to also remember that a DUI can have far-reaching ramifications beyond just those listed above. It could derail your career. It could change your life plans. You don’t want to let that happen to you, so you need to know what options you have.
How could this happen?
One reason this could happen is simply because you won’t be able to drive during a license suspension. If you have no other way to get to work, are they going to fire you and replace you with someone else who has transportation options? Some companies also have policies where they can let employees go simply for being convicted.
The risks of this are obviously highest if you work in a career where you have to drive. Say that you are a truck driver or a cab driver. Maybe you just use Uber or Lyft to work as a rideshare driver. If you cannot do your job without getting in the car and you have to serve a long license suspension, that means your career either has to take a break or change entirely. Most people do not simply have enough money on hand to wait out the entire license suspension before going back to work.
Additionally, a DUI on your record could make it more difficult to do all sorts of things. Maybe you are a college student and the college has a policy saying that students who get a DUI will be expelled. Perhaps you’re trying to search for a new job and you know they’re going to run background checks. If that DUI comes up, everything changes.
Finally, you may want to consider the impact to your reputation if you are convicted of breaking the law. Perhaps you’re a public figure or a religious leader. How are people going to see you if you get convicted, and is that going to have an impact on what you do with your life and your career?
What can you do?
The good news is that there are a lot of different defense options if you’re facing DUI charges. For instance, breath tests are not always reliable. Police officers may make illegal stops. There are multiple potential legal defense options that may help you to either get the charges dropped or to minimize the impact. Just make sure you know exactly what legal steps to take.
