Being hit with a drunk driving charge can throw your life into disarray. The allegations themselves can taint your image in the community and strain relationships with your loved ones, but that pales in comparison to what you may face if you end up convicted. Let’s take a look at some of the ramifications that a drunk driving conviction could have on your life:
- Financial harm: Most DUI and DWI convictions result in fines that can be overwhelming, especially if you’re already facing financial hardship. Your financial difficulties following conviction might also be tied to the next negative implication of conviction.
- Employment issues: Your DUI or DWI conviction is going to be on your criminal record, which means that your employer will likely find out about it. This can lead to immediate termination from your job, thereby resulting in lost income and financial struggles. You may find it hard to secure new employment with your criminal record, too, and even if you do find a job, it might be hard to keep it given that your license will likely be suspended and you might struggle to find a way to get to work.
- License suspension or revocation: Your driving privileges are also going to be impacted by a drunk driving conviction. Depending on the facts of your case and the specific statute under which you’re convicted, you might see your license suspended for several months or years, or your license may be permanently revoked. This can make it difficult to get to work, sure, but it can also negatively impact your ability to visit family and care for aging loved ones.
- Incarceration: One of your biggest fears may be jail or prison time. This is a real possibility in many drunk driving cases, especially if the alleged crime resulted in injury or death, or if it’s a subsequent drunk driving conviction. Any amount of time spend behind bars can be damaging to your phycological well-being, and it can impact your family by taking you away from them for a significant period of time.
- Professional license suspension or revocation: If you work in a job that relies upon having a professional license, then you may see your entire career jeopardized by your drunk driving conviction.
- Immigration issues: Depending on the seriousness of your offense, your drunk driving conviction may have an impact on your immigration status, leaving you uncertain of your future in this country.
- Custody issues: If you’re subject to a custody agreement or custody order, then your criminal conviction could give your child’s other parent the ammunition they need to seek a modification. This means that your time with your children might be put at risk by being convicted.
- Housing problems: A criminal record can also impact your ability to secure appropriate housing since many landlords conduct background checks before leasing to a tenant.
Protect your interests as much as you can
We don’t point out all of these ripple effects of conviction to scare you. Rather, we want you to realize the importance of aggressively defending yourself when you’ve been accused of drunk driving. It can be difficult to figure out the best way to do that, especially when the evidence seems stacked against you, but that’s why you might want to discuss the circumstances of your case with an attorney who is experienced in these sorts of cases.
By reaching out to one of these attorneys, you might be able to develop a strong criminal defense strategy that effectively protects your future. If you’re interested in that sort of advocacy, then now may be the best time for you to take action by reaching out to one of these legal teams.