If you’ve been charged with a driving under the influence charge (DUI), you’re probably worried about what the future has in store for you. You’re concerned about the stigma attached to a drunk driving conviction and how it could affect your daily living. This is all understandable. After all, an improperly handled DUI case can lead to serious ramifications, which is why you need to carefully consider how to aggressively defend yourself in these matters.
What’s at risk in your case?
A DUI conviction can wreak havoc in your life. Just look at some of the penalties that can be dealt to you:
- Jail or prison time: Depending on the specifics of your case, you could end up facing some very real jail or prison time. This strips you away from your friends and family and may leave you in a difficult environment for a long time to come.
- Driving privileges: Perhaps the most common penalty for a DUI conviction is license suspension or revocation. This limitation can make it difficult for you to not only get to work but also to visit your friends and family and get to scheduled medical appointments. You may also be ordered to pay for the installation of an ignition interlock device, which forces you to provide a breath test in order to operate your vehicle.
- Employment ramifications: Regardless of the severity of the crime in question, a criminal conviction can impact your current employment and your ability to secure a job in the future. There’s a pretty good chance that you’ll lose your current job, and a mar on your record, especially if it’s a felony conviction, may deter many employers from hiring you. This can severely limit your employment options and thereby significantly affect your income.
- Professional license difficulties: If you work in a profession that requires a professional license, you may see that license suspended or revoked if you’re convicted of a crime, including drunk driving. This can completely upend your career and lead to a whole host of financial difficulties.
- Housing trouble: Most housing applications require you to disclose if you have a criminal record. If you do have one, you may end up seeing many of your applications denied. This can severely limit your housing options, leaving you to choose from some of the less desirable living arrangements around you.
- Family law implications: If you have custody of or visitation with your children, a DUI conviction could affect when and how you spend time with your children. Your child’s other parent may be able to use your conviction against you to show that you have a substance abuse problem that negatively impacts your ability to care for your kids, which may lead to a request for a custody modification.
- Immigration status: Again, depending on the facts of your case and the specific crime for which you’ve been charged, a criminal conviction could affect your immigration status, potentially even leading to deportation.
- Damage to your reputation: As if all of the above isn’t enough, a criminal conviction can also harm your relationships with your friends and family, and you may lose your standing in the community.
Aggressively defend yourself to protect your future
We know that reading through this list of implications is stressful and downright scary. But we bring them to your attention to highlight the importance of putting forth the strongest criminal defense possible. By presenting a robust defense, you may be able to escape conviction or at least reduce the severity of the penalties that are dealt to you.
So, if you’re ready to figure out what you can do to protect your interests moving forward, now is the time to consider reaching out to an experienced criminal defense attorney to discuss your case further.