Re: Trip Report - DUI
Alright, I have scanned this thread and have a little advice as someone who experienced a similiar issue. Two summers ago at the age of 19 in Washington, DC I was taking it easy at a backyard barbeque when one of my roomates was about to attempt to drive to his girlfriends sloshed. I had been grilling for most of the afternoon and thus hadn't drank much except I had just finished a drink and taken a shot after coming inside from the grill. I offered to drive feeling fine, and my friend got us lost on the way to Alexandria. I got pulled over for an illegal u-turn at a light where there was a divider. Cop smelled my friend and not knowing better I took field tests and then blew 0.09% in the field. I was taken in and since my BAC was still climbing I blew a 0.15% in the station.
Lawyer, fines, and a plane ticket to my court date ended up costing me $5000. Good lawyer got my a plea to a years liscense suspension and an alcohol course. Judge would have asked for jailtime since I hit 0.15%. Worst thing about this situation was this was my first time driving in weeks as I did not have a car at school or in DC for the summer. I had driven drunk plenty of times in High School but had smartened up senior year and never did it any more. Here I am, not even a traffic ticket on my record almost getting jailtime for being slightly impaired. Yes I made a mistake, but I didn't need such agonizing consequences to convince me of that.
I saw an alcohol counselor who told my that DUI laws are ridiculous. There is a subset of people who will be repeat offenders no matter what the consequences. For the other majority of people, a fine and a short course, along with the embarassment of an arrest are enough to convince them not to do it again. Furthermore, these one time offenders would realize the consequences of a second offense. She said those likely to repeat need real treatment and thus harsher consequences do almost nothing to change the repeat offfense percentage.
Along with the alcohol counselor, I had to take a 40 hour mandatory course. Their advice was totally different than counselor. They told us they anyone that ever got a DUI was some "level" of an alcoholic. I tried to argue this point but eventually realized to just play along so I could get it done. Miserable thing. Pretty much got told that I had a problem with alcohol and had to learn how to control it so I didn't get another DUI. Pretty much thier basic classification of people was that anyone who has ever been drunk, drank to relax themselves, etc. was some form of alcoholic. The only non-alcoholic was one who never drank or only drank one drink or something seldomly in a social situation. According to them if you have ever thought, man I would like a beer, you are an alcoholic.
Last, some advice to those of you who may end up at one point in this position. Refuse everything, saying you must speak to your lawyer first. Yes your license will be initially taken, but as long as you say you need to speak to your lawyer, you will more than liekly be acquitted and get it back. If you take any tests, you are pretty much screwing yourself.
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