Eight Different Ways DUI Could Destroy Your Career In Denver

You must be aware of the many happenings in the USA courtesy of the DUI. Recently, there are headlines of a police officer getting fired from work for the offense. Yes, it is that serious because DUI has taken the lives of many and it can take more. You sometimes may be hit with these consequences where your Denver DUI Attorney may not be able to come in except for case dismissal and charge reduction in a court of competent jurisdiction. Of course, we wouldn’t blame the government for trying to save her masses from preventable deaths as could be caused by the menace. These are therefore a few insights on how the offense could cause a devastating impact on your job and career.

License suspension:

This is probably the most common consequence of every DUI offense, particularly in every US states. If your license is suspended and you don’t have an exemption for which is allowed in most states in the US under certain circumstances, you might end up hiring a private driver, taking cabs or buses to work. These people cannot always be reliable like yourself. They could make you lose your job for lateness or similar challenges. As job hunting individual too, some job requires your license, which if not produced means that you are forfeiting such opportunities. This is why you need a Denver DUI lawyer to fight your course for a case dismissal immediately.

Mandatory firing policy:

This should not be any surprise. Most firms offer you pre-contract agreements before offering you their jobs. Some of them usually provide employees with handbooks that spell out clearly that some crimes have no lesser punishments than getting fired. DUI may just be one of those policies. Such employers would usually request that you notify them upon an arrest so they issue you a letter of dismissal with effect to the crime.

Loss of insurance:

It is rare to see insurance companies ensure a DUI offender. It would be too much risk to take on their business. Now imagine that your company’s insurance company realizes you are a DUI offender, you would make your firm lose some coverage if they keep you employed. However, if you manage to be covered, it would be tantamount to more expenses for your employer, and he may not be ready to pay extra charges for keeping you. You know what that means.

Disturbance from Diversion Programs:

As a DUI offender, you might be lucky to qualify for a diversion program, hence avoidance of jail term. This is not to mean that you are totally free as there could be mandatory visits at your job place which would usually come with mandatory notification to your employer. Although some state would wave this program to avoid you being fired if you could prove it’s an offense worth being fired for in your place of work. Meanwhile, others would require you to plead guilty to qualify for the program. Your employer may have a reasonable and enough ground to fire you upon such conviction.

Loss of professional license:

There is usually stricter treatment on some professional offenders like lawyers, doctors, nurses, even plumbers. Any formal arrest should be disclosed to the licensing office and this may affect the loss of license and in fact job.

Missing work and reduced work-hour:

You would usually miss work hours for a court hearing or administrative hearing. In fact, you could end up in mandatory imprisonment and trust me, it would be difficult to explain to your employer why you have to be out. You know what that means too.

Education:

There is always room for personal development and so education is a continuous thing. However, as a DUI convict, some colleges and institutions may want to see assurance that you have gone through a treatment programme before you are offered admission. Some wouldn’t even give you consideration at all. Of course, your Denver DUI Lawyer may have ideas on how to tackle this.

Dent on commercial license:

A close to eternal dent is what a DUI offense would cause on your commercial license. It would reflect on your license for 55 years. This means that if you are a commercial driver, your career probably hit an end in that line once you get hit with a DUI charge. However, you could still visit a Denver DUI attorney for a way out.

What You Should Expect at a DUI Trial

As a first time DUI offender, we can conveniently speak of your fear of the unknown especially when you have little or no legal background about the offense. One thing is however exactly sure, you must be aware that driving under influence (DUI) is such an offense taken really seriously in the USA, that it attracts punishments ranging from light to heavy depending on the intensity, frequency and destructive aftermath of the offense. Basically, you can expect charges from misdemeanor to felony. 

You therefore have to have a projection of expectations once you are arrested so as to have the best way out of every challenge an arrest or charge may pose against you. Chances are that you have read from legal websites and blogs with little or no resources on DUI trial expectations, but rather as many as possible documentaries on the need for a DUI attorney Denver among similar topics. While the latter is useful, the former is needed to plan your defense based on history and previous experiences. It is called learning from the fig tree.

Once you are pulled over by law enforcers for DUI check, the process of conviction would begin almost immediately. From field sobriety test to chemical tests, chances are that you would be provided with more than a test option to have you booked. Whether in a way you like or otherwise, all these processes may land you in the trial via charges leveled against you. Thus, you basically need the assistance of an experienced Denver DUI attorney to scale through by soliciting either case dismissal or reduction in punishments. However, it is important to have an idea of what to expect during the trial process.

Arraignment:

DUI trials are usually not a complex legal process. They begin with the arraignment. This is your first time of appearance before the judge for your hearing. Arraignment usually takes place the morning after your arrest on a DUI charge. However, it can also be scheduled for later. The judge would read all charges against you to your hearing and you are expected to plead guilty or otherwise. It is best that your Denver DUI Attorney stand in for you here.

Trial opening statements:

In a DUI trial, both the defense and prosecuting counsel would be allowed space for the opening statement. However, this step could be skipped if your trial is before a judge. This doesn’t also negate your right to request a jury trial if the crime with which you have been accused carries a penalty of 90 days or more incarceration. An experienced DUI attorney would most likely advise you not to waive your right to the opening statement as that may set a tone to help win the jury over right from the beginning of the trial.

Presentation of witness and evidence:

This usually follows the opening statement. Prosecution defense would most likely be the first to call on witnesses. Your attorney would have the chance to ask the witness questions too. Similarly, your attorney reserve the right to ask prosecution questions. An experienced attorney would know the right questions to ask in favor of your case. A prosecution may also call you and ask you questions in front of the court. You are advised to answer questions in all honesty except the ones you know may jeopardize your case (you are protected under the constitution to refuse to testify for yourself). Rather than answer, you could just allow your attorney to speak for you. Make sure you don’t hide information from the jury. This might make you look guilty when you are really not. Further, because testimony is a huge deciding factor in your trial, your attorney should be able to help you testify correctly by adding credibility to your story. Be open to him to help you. All of these would be factored into case examination and cross-examination.

Closing arguments, jury decision and sentencing:

After examination and cross-examination of evidence and witness testimonies, attorneys from both prosecution and defense we would be given an ambiance to summarize their case. Closing arguments in these lights are really important, especially in jury trials than the ones in the form of a judge. Your lawyer should be able to make a strong closing statement in favor of your defense. The jury will meet shortly after to minute overall evidence and issue a decision on whether you are guilty or otherwise. If you are found not guilty, you are free, otherwise, you would be sentenced to a court that would explain you're criminal penalties.

The above in the basic light should summarize your expectation n a DUI trial in the USA. However, you could meet some negligible differences in reality as this is not like a rehearsed script or rubberstamp of efficiency for all DUI trial.