Nobody wants their party spoiled with a Driving Under the Influence charge, but it happens every day.
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Earlier this month a member of the county’s DUI Task Force asked what was, in retrospect, a pretty good question – why, out of all the municipalities in Montana, including the state legislature, is Darby leading the effort to combat drunk driving?
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It seems like every year the costs that a person convicted of a driving under the influence (DUI) charge faces continue to rise. Not only is being arrest and convicted of a DUI offense humiliating and embarrassing, but the financial drain that it places on anyone convicted of a DUI offense, whether it is a first offense or third offense is overwhelming to say the least.
The penalties and costs associated with a first offense DUI conviction will vary by state, but you can be assured that just because one state’s DUI costs are less than another state’s DUI costs, they are very similar.
Bail to get out of jail will cost you roughly 10% of the actual bail amount (if you go through a bail bondsmen) or between $250 – $1,000 and more depending on where your bail is set. If there was no passenger who is licensed to drive and was not under the influence in your vehicle at the time of arrest, you vehicle will be towed. Towing costs can range anywhere from $100 – $1,000 or more. Fines for a first offense conviction range from $300 – $1,200. Your state may require first time offenders to attend an alcohol evaluation class at a cost of $150 – $1,000 or more. If you hope to have any chance of beating the DUI charge you are going to have to hire an experienced DUI lawyer. The average cost to defend someone against a first offense charge will average around $3,000 and up depending on the complexity and circumstances surrounding your case. You will have to pay a license reinstatement fee of $90 – $250 to your DMV before they issue you a restricted license or reinstate your license following your suspension period. You may be required to have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle as a requirement of having your license reinstatement at an average cost of $800 per year. Your auto insurance premiums are going to increase by 300 to 500% or more per year due to the fact that you will be required to file an SR22 form with your DMV showing proof of financial responsibility. The added cost of SR22 insurance could be $1,500 – $2,800 or more per year on top of what you were previously paying for auto insurance.
The increase in auto insurance costs will remain with you for approximately 5 – 7 years beyond the 3-year SR22 filing period required by your DMV because the DUI offense will remain on your driving record for an average of 10-years.
Additional expenses include various additional fees that your state may charge you that could add up to $300 or more. Something that only you could put a price on is your time lost away from work because of jail time, going to court and any court appointed treatment programs.
You may also be faced with having to find new employment following a DUI conviction especially if you were required to drive a company vehicle on the job. More and more employers are conducting background checks on future employees before hiring them and if a prospective employer sees a DUI conviction on your criminal record, they may not offer you the job.
As you can see by the examples above that being arrested for a DUI offense can be an absolute train wreck and potentially ruin a person’s life for many years to come.
If you are facing a DUI charge, it is very important to speak with an experienced DUI lawyer in your area regarding your case and what options you have. It is also important that you learn as much as you can about your state DUI laws and what penalties you may be facing.
