Many people will understandably assume that after being accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, the accused person’s worst consequences will be jail time and other associated legal punishment. To a certain extent, this is true. Jail time is costly and has a dramatic effect on a person’s life. Additionally, the person accused of driving under the influence will need to deal with court dates and a license suspension.
However, in many other ways, the “indirect” financial consequences of a DUI are more punishing on an accused person than the literal legal consequences. Consider that when you get arrested for a DUI, your car must be towed and impounded. Those two things alone could run you thousands of dollars.
Then there are the legal steps we touched on above, and there are many other to consider too. Processes such as probation costs, court fees, sentencing fees, jail time fees, ignition interlock fees, and chemical testing fees will all cost you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
And then there are the long term financial consequences of the DUI charge. You will need to find alternate transportation for a time. You will need to reinstate your license at some point, which will cost you money. And, of course, there are the dramatically increased insurance premiums you will have to pay.
All told, a DUI can cost an individual tens of thousands of dollars. That, plus the legal consequences, means there is too much at stake when accused of a DUI to go without an experienced criminal defense attorney.
