The criminal courts have the power to hand down an assortment of different penalties in a driving under the influence (DUI) scenario. Drivers may end up serving time in state facilities. They may pay large fines in addition to any court costs they need to cover.
It is also standard practice for the courts to impose a driver’s license suspension after a DUI conviction. Even a first-time DUI charge where no one gets hurt can lead to a motorist losing their license for six months. A driver’s license suspension can be even more of a practical challenge than short-term incarceration and financial penalties in some cases.
How can a license suspension impact a defendant’s life?
Affecting their employment
Quite a few jobs require some degree of driving. There are professionals ranging from school bus drivers and semi-truck drivers to restaurant delivery providers who spend the vast majority of their shifts in vehicles. Those who lose their personal driver’s license due to a DUI also become ineligible for a commercial driver’s license (CDL). Even those who only drive occasionally for work may no longer be able to perform all of their job responsibilities and could be at risk of termination or demotion because of their lost driving privileges.
Making them unreliable
Losing a driver’s license can affect a defendant’s job in other ways. Even if they don’t drive for work, they probably drive to work. Relying on carpooling, rides from friends or public transportation might mean that a worker goes from being on time every day to being perceived as unreliable. Those who cannot transport themselves to and from work may show up late frequently and may be at risk of disciplinary action. Even if they avoid write-ups and termination, they may have a harder time securing promotions in the future because their employers view them as less reliable than they did previously.
Creating massive expenses
People may look into paid solutions for license suspension. They may rely on rideshare services or similar options to get them to work or to help them run necessary errands for their families. Taking a taxi to the doctor’s office and the grocery store can quickly add up to be incredibly expensive. On-demand ride services tend to cost far more than individual transportation.
The only sure way to avoid a driver’s license suspension when facing DUI charges is to avoid a criminal conviction. Working to develop a defense strategy can help an individual accused of impaired driving work to preserve their driving privileges, their freedom and their reputation.
