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What Happens When You Get a DUI?
When you’re pulled over for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may be facing more than an embarrassing arrest. Your future may be in danger, and you can face life-changing consequences if you’re not careful to avoid a DUI conviction.
But what really happens when you get a DUI? You may be unsure how severe the penalties for a DUI are. Check out the details below, and talk to a Chicago DUI lawyer at Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ to avoid these harsh consequences.
Penalties for Your DUI
When you’ve been convicted of a DUI or DWI, you’ve been convicted of a serious crime. Drinking and driving puts others in danger, not just yourself. Because of this, you may be facing misdemeanor charges even for a first conviction, as well as penalties specific to criminal traffic violations.
For example, you may have to pay fines totaling thousands of dollars. That puts you in a tough financial situation and can make it tough to recover even after you’ve paid your dues.
You may even face jail or even prison time, probation, or community service. These penalties can impact your ability to work and to get back to the things you once did before the conviction.
Impacts on Your License
If you’ve been convicted of a DUI, you may also face penalties regarding your license, not just the typical penalties for a conviction. For example, you may lose your license for months or years. The length of this suspension depends on whether you’ve been convicted of a DUI before.
Worse, Illinois residents can even have their license revoked if they’ve been convicted before. While you can pay to reinstate your license after a suspension, a revocation means you’ll need to retake your drivers test just to get your license back.
If you refuse a field sobriety test, you may face these penalties even if you were sober. You may lose your license for up to twelve months in this situation.
Long-Term Penalties for a DUI
The penalties may not stop easily, even if you’ve done everything you were sentenced to do after the conviction. That DUI conviction is still on your record, and it can continue to hurt you.
For example, you may see higher premiums from insurance companies. These companies see a DUI conviction as an example of reckless driving, which means to them that you’re more likely to cause an accident. That limits your options for coverage.
You may also have trouble getting a job that requires driving. Employers can see your criminal record on a background check, and they may choose not to hire you because of a conviction. Because of this, it’s important to defend your case, rather than face a harsh sentence and unseen consequences for a conviction.
Contact Us Before You’re Convicted
When you’ve been pulled over for a DUI, your future and your license may be in trouble. But you don’t have to accept the penalties that come with a DUI. You have a chance to fight back, avoiding the penalties and long-term issues you may face with a DUI. Reach out for the lawyers at Chicago Trusted Attorneys™ when you’re ready to fight back. Call us at 312-519-3171, or fill out the online contact form below.