If you’ve ever seen the red and blue lights of a cop car appear in your rearview mirror, you know how scary it can be. Even if you haven’t done anything wrong, it is still frightening to get pulled over. You start to run through every possible scenario in your head. You wonder if the police are pulling you over because you forgot to get your vehicle inspected. Or maybe you blew through a stop sign and hadn’t realized it. But if you’ve been drinking and get pulled over, you can bet your life is about to change forever. The best thing to do is to talk to an Athens DUI defense lawyer as soon as they let you make a phone call from the jail.
Having a conviction of DUI on your criminal record can be bad enough. But if you end up losing your job or professional license, it’s a completely different story. Now, it’s not just a matter of waiting out the suspension period and paying higher insurance rates. Now you have to worry about finding a new job and maybe even a new career. This isn’t something your Athens DUI defense lawyer will be able to help you with. What they can do is help you fight the charges in the first place.
A DUI Conviction Can Lead to All Sort of Problems
A conviction for DUI will invariably lead to some very unpleasant things. First, you can count on a suspension of your driver’s license. It depends on whether it’s your offense and how high your blood alcohol concentration was. You can also expect to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars in fines. For almost all people convicted of DUI, their insurance premiums go up. They go way up. These higher rates will stay in place for years. You’ll have to prove that you can sustain several years without any driving infractions to get you premiums back down to a normal rate.
On top of all of this, you may learn that you’re about to lose other things as well. For some people, a DUI conviction is almost a guarantee that they’ll lose their professional license. If you’re a doctor or a lawyer, there’s a good chance that you’ll at least be suspended for a few months. You could even be disbarred depending on the facts surrounding your case. If you’re in law school, you may not be able to sit for the bar exam. The state bar associations like to see that you’re of sound character before they let you sit for their state exam. A conviction for DUI could be enough to make them deny your request to take the test.
Whether Your Job is in Jeopardy Depends on the Type of Work You Do
Some people may not have to worry about their professional licenses being in jeopardy. However, they could find out that they’re about to lose their job. For example, if you drive a school bus or tractor-trailer, you may lose your job. This is especially true if you’re relatively new or if you have other disciplinary infractions. You may work for a company that requires a clean background check. If they find out you’re charged and convicted of DUI, it could put your job in jeopardy.
It’s Critical that Your Athens DUI Defense Lawyer Try to Get the Charges Reduced or Dismissed
Your best option is to have your Athens DUI defense lawyer get the charges against you reduced or dismissed. It’s a lot harder than you may think. Some people think that if they know someone in the court system, they can get their charges dismissed. This isn’t the case. No prosecutor is going to put their job on the line to do a favor for someone who’s been charged with a DUI. It doesn’t matter how much you pay your Athens DUI defense lawyer. There are only certain things they can do to get your charges reduced or dismissed.
Call and Speak with a Skilled Athens DUI Defense Lawyer as Soon as Possible After Your Arrest
If you or your loved one are charged with DUI, you’ll be facing a slew of penalties. Some of these are imposed by the court. But you could face serious consequences outside of the court system as well. The best way to approach this is to call and talk to an experienced Athens DUI defense lawyer as soon as possible. This offers you the best chance to get your DUI charges reduced or dismissed.