Pleading guilty to a DUI charge might seem like a straightforward way to resolve your legal issues fast, but there are long-term consequences of this decision. For instance, you might plead guilty when you could have gotten your charges dropped or reduced. If this happens, you’ll likely spend more time in jail, pay higher fines, and struggle harder with a DUI on your record.
“I cannot tell you how many people I represent on a second or multiple DUI who just pled guilty to their first DUI, say Nashville Criminal Defense Attorneys. “Either they thought it was only a weekend in jail, or they paid a small fee to a young lawyer who told them to plead guilty at the first court date, or they thought their case was hopeless, so they pled guilty.”
For many of those people, their second DUI would have been their first had they fought their initial charges. In most cases, it makes more sense to have an attorney formulate a strategic defense that can lessen the charges or get your case dismissed.
Why pleading guilty to a DUI is a bad idea
Often, pleading guilty to any criminal charge right away is a bad idea simply because there’s a chance you might be offered a plea bargain. Pleading guilty eliminates this possibility forever.
A plea bargain will have you plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for a lighter sentence, like less jail time and smaller fines. For example, people charged with a DUI are often offered the chance to plead guilty to reckless driving. There are still consequences for this conviction, but they are not as severe and it’s easier to move through life with a reckless driving conviction over a DUI.
There are also first-offender programs that will lessen your penalties in exchange for your participation in treatment programs. In the end, you could end up with a clean record.
DUI charges can be dropped if the traffic stop is invalidated
Regardless of what evidence you believe there is against you, it’s wise to fight your charges. Even if you failed every field sobriety test, blew way over the legal limit on a breathalyzer, and are visibly intoxicated on an officer’s body cam, that doesn’t mean you’ll be convicted of a DUI.
Many DUI cases are dismissed or reduced to reckless driving after the initial traffic stop is found to have been invalid. For instance, say a cop pulls you over and tells you they stopped you because your tail light is out, but their dash cam shows your tail lights working perfectly. At that point, if they start investigating you for driving under the influence, there’s a good chance the initial stop will be deemed invalid. That doesn’t mean you won’t face charges, but it will increase your chances of getting a plea deal.
A guilty plea can negatively impact your future
If you plead guilty to DUI charges, you’re essentially sealing your fate of having a DUI conviction on your criminal record. This can have serious consequences throughout your life. Not only can DUI convictions remain on your record for 10 years or indefinitely, but you’ll be harshly judged by anyone who runs your background check.
For example, employers and landlords often reject applicants with a criminal conviction. Technically, it’s illegal to reject someone based on the mere presence of a conviction, but people do it anyway. However, employers and landlords can reject you if your conviction would put others in danger or create a liability. In the case of a DUI conviction, an employer that requires staff to drive or operate heavy machinery would have legal grounds to reject your application.
On the other hand, if you fight your DUI charges and agree to a plea deal that knocks the charge down to reckless driving, life will be a little easier. Neither conviction looks good, but reckless driving is a bit softer. You still won’t be able to get a job as a driver, but there’s less of a chance that a future employer will reject your application outright. Phoenix DUI Lawyers can often help negotiate a reckless driving charge instead of a DUI, which may improve your chances with future employers.
A DUI charge will raise your car insurance rates
Car insurance rates are already high for most people, and having a DUI on your record will make your premiums even more expensive. You’ll be considered a high-risk driver and some companies might drop your policy, forcing you to find a new provider.
Don’t plead guilty without talking to an attorney
A DUI charge doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be convicted, but the law is complex. Only an attorney can know if it’s in your best interest to plead guilty or fight your charges.
