Jad123

What was your sentencing?

KissMyTiara

My DUI I had a .23. My lawyer got it reduced to reckless driving. I did not lose my license or go to jail. I had to do alcohol counseling for 3 months and 50 hours community service. But that was 29 years ago. I think the sentencing is stricter now.

DontRemember

You **shouldn't** have to go to jail anymore.. My 2nd was .32-.34(can't remember)BAC.. but...know you need to get this behavior in check. I lost around $35k(not including another work truck) with my last one. The 1st I was just out fines/fees and it didn't even faze me ..7yrs later..my drinking and nonchalant attitude, on life(people/places/things) got outta of control! It does progress if you keep doing it.

Jad123

Thank you for sharing. I won't ever do it again, it isn't worth it for myself or anyone. I just want to keep working and move on with my life.

rayna87

Not sure where you are from, as that affects sentences, but...I 150% relate to this and understand. When I got my DUI on NYE of all nights, 4 years ago, I hadn’t even gotten a speeding ticket prior to it. To say I was petrified is an understatement. I still remember that voicemail from my father saying he “knew what happened”, and the Saturday morning phone call with my attorney when I just cried my eyes out when he told me he knew this was not what I pictured myself doing on New Years weekend. It was the most horrendous, traumatizing time of my life.

But I’m okay. I got “lucky”, I guess you could call it. I hit a car with 4 people in it. Luckily, no one was seriously injured, but still. It still actually got reduced to a reckless driving, I didn’t lose my license, I was on mail-in probation (i live 2 hours away from the county it happened in) as a formality for maybe a month, because I was so fortunate enough to be financially able to satisfy all the terms of my probation. But that was it. The experience itself haunts me to this day, but that’s a good thing because I will never NOT use Uber anytime there’s any question about my ability to drive. But as for the penalties themselves, I owned them and took care of them, while regretting that night everyday, but I’m also more than okay today.

You will be too! Hang in there!!!

dcg

Punishment varies greatly by state. In my state, you're doing a minimum of 1 day, and that will be a picnic compared to the rest of the stuff you'll have to deal with. In other states, it's far more lenient.

Dee74

Hows it going Jad?

D

Jad123

Still naturally worried and nervous but it has gone down a bit. Everyone I talked to from all different places said it isn't the end of the world basically. I'm trying to focus in on that instead of all these bad feelings of anxiety, nervousness and fear.

I talked to so many random people and they all said that. There wasn't anyone that said otherwise.

I guess sentencing will be a good thing since I will learn how to make things good with thr courts and that will help me put this in the past.

Tacitus

This experience is secondhand and is based on a friend's experience in Ireland. He pled guilty up front. Before sentencing, the arresting cop was asked as to my friend's demeanor during the arrest and subsequent process The arresting cop said that my friend had been courteous and provided no trouble. My friend was asked for his views of the matter. He replied that he knew the law and that there was no excuse for his behaviour and that matters had now reached their inevitable outcome - that of the punishment which he deserved.
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He received the minimum ban and the minimum fine.

I'm not saying that judges have that same degree of discretion in your neck of the woods, but it may be no harm to be clearly submissive to the process.

* I know that "a friend" is often a euphemism for one's own self, but this *was* a friend. The only reason I've no DUI to my name is because while I was a heavy drinker I have never needed to own a car.

MLD51

DUI laws vary greatly from place to place. And judges do have quite a bit of discretion, if they choose to use it. I have had 3 DUI's. I won't go into all the details, because it's complicated and would be a novel, but no one ever got hurt, and I was extremely lucky. I did do some jail time on the 3rd one. 2 weeks. It would have been a lot more but I signed up for a special program that had me doing 2 weeks jail (with work release) and 45 days of house arrest with an ankle bracelet. I had to do home breathalyzer for quite some time, too. And an intoxalock on my car for what seemed like forever. It cost me a lot of money. It was embarrassing.

BUT - I was sober from that day I got pulled over the 3rd time forward. That was the last straw for me. I got through all of it. Sober. I paid all the fines. Jumped through all the hoops. Did the time. And I did it gratefully, because no one was hurt, it was the kick in the butt I needed to get help (went to treatment within a week after the arrest), and my higher power gave me a real signal that night that it was time to surrender. So I see it as a blessing now.

My point is - you have a choice how to see this event. Naturally, you are nervous - I was too went I went for sentencing, knowing I'd probably be going to jail straight from the courtroom (there was a small chance the judge would be lenient and just send me home for house arrest). But try to turn it around and think of this as a wake-up call, and that you never have to go through this again. Make this your line in the sand.

When you go to court, be courteous and respectful. Be that way to everyone you encounter in the whole process. It will serve you well. It might not make any real difference in the sentencing, but you could definitely make it worse for yourself if you are not. And try not to worry too much. You have talked to a lot of people who have told you you probably won't go to jail. So go with that - they are probably right. Not sure what the laws are where you are.

You'll get through this just fine.

Derringer

It does of course vary according to the countries and individual state laws.

My experience is that on first offences, you get a stern warning type of approach.

So a reasonable fine, short term loss of licence and thats about it.

It's when you show up a 2nd or 3rd time that it gets bad and the threat of incarceration comes into play.

My approach was to just take whatever it was standing up and show remorse.

Judges have heard every excuse under the sun and they don't like it.