Well, how do you start something like this but to say I am a hypocrite. After years of pontificating on the dangers of drinking and driving I was charged and convicted of a DUI. I am sharing this information NOT because I am proud of what has happened at the most stressful point of my life, but so that if it happens to you you will be AWARE.
First and for most KNOW that if you have been drinking that IF you are charged with a BAC, (blood alcohol content), of .08 or more that you will most likely be charged with a DUI, (Driving Under the Influence). There is NO negotiation on a first time DUI offense in California, so save yourself the $2500 (or more) charge of hiring a lawyer and plan on attending all your court appearances on time and expecting to stay most of the day. If you are lucky enough that YOUR time is more than the expense of the lawyer make your own choice.
Note that at some point you will have to appear in front of the judge and be sentenced.
Here are my notes from the experience:
First and for most KNOW that if you have been drinking that IF you are charged with a BAC, (blood alcohol content), of .08 or more that you will most likely be charged with a DUI, (Driving Under the Influence). There is NO negotiation on a first time DUI offense in California, so save yourself the $2500 (or more) charge of hiring a lawyer and plan on attending all your court appearances on time and expecting to stay most of the day. If you are lucky enough that YOUR time is more than the expense of the lawyer make your own choice.
Note that at some point you will have to appear in front of the judge and be sentenced.
Here are my notes from the experience:
- You have ten days to apply to the DMV for the right to obtain a restricted license during your education process if you fail to apply for this privilege you will be denied the right to drive for a minimum of 4 months. EVEN with this privilege you will be denied the right to drive for a minimum of 30 days.
- If you fail to appear at any of your mandated court appearances you will have a warrant issued for your arrest
- You will have to attend traffic school and it will cost you in time and money in accordance to your BAC.
- Embrace the experience of traffic school. You have to go, you have no choice, IT IS A PROCESS and your restricted license only lasts so long. Most of the things you'll learn won't kill you to know and may enlighten even the most cosmopolitan types. KNOW that any missed activities will add to your cost. Just go, get it done, and don't let it happen again because the cost and the hours increase significantly. There were plenty of folk that did not get the point the first time and were in class as repeat offenders. It appeared to me that the longer you went the more bitter you became.
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