Being Convicted of DUI in Georgia


Get Your DUI Case Evaluation NowDUI is a crime that carries shame. Your co-workers and friends – and even your family - may consider you as being out of control. They may wonder if you are an alcoholic, or whether you are going to be a problem to be around if you cannot control your drinking. In addition to these social costs, when drivers drink and get behind the wheel, they don’t consider the hidden costs that could affect the rest of their lives:
  • Jail time. Too many drivers think they will get nothing more than a slap on the wrist for a first-time DUI. This is not true. Laws have become increasingly strict, and a jail sentence is a very real possibility depending on the circumstances. On your first DUI offense in Georgia, you will serve jail time from just 24 hours to as much as twelve months. Your second offense in five years requires 72 hours of jail time as a minimum, but you could face up to 12 months in jail. Your third conviction in five years guarantees you 15 days in jail, with a 12-month maximum
  • Employment restrictions. Many jobs are closed to drivers with a DUI on their record – any kind of public transportation driver or a commercial driving position. With a DUI conviction, there is always a possibility of being passed over for a job when there is a more desirable candidate
  • Loss of driver’s license. Your personal driver’s license and commercial driver’s license may be immediately suspended for up to a year for your first offense if your blood-alcohol level is over the legal limit of .08 percent. That increases to three years for your second offense and five years for your third offense. It will also be suspended if you refuse to take sobriety field tests or chemical tests (blood, urine, or breath) when requested by the officer. Think how inconvenient life would be without a driver’s license! While it’s true you may petition the court for a restricted license, the operable word here is “restricted.” You won’t be doing any recreational driving for some time – legally, that is.
  • Insurance coverage complications. Many drivers get reduced insurance rates because they hold clear driving records. Your coverage will be dropped if you belong to one of these types of companies. Your best-case scenario is that your insurance rates will go up – drastically. Don’t even think of finding affordable coverage if you get a DUI and you are under the age of 25! Cases have been found of insurance companies charging $5,000 annually to cover an underage driver with a DUI on record.
  • Impoundment. In the right circumstances, you could lose your vehicle. If instead of a DUI you are charged with DUID – Driving Under the Influence of Drugs – meeting certain criteria could mean your vehicle is permanently removed from your possession, as does your fourth offense of DUI. Remember, also, that you won’t be driving your vehicle away from a roadside stop if the police officer arrests you on suspicion of DUI – and it’s not free to get your car returned to you.
  • Ignition interlock device. The state has the right to make you pay the costs of having an ignition interlock device attached to your car. It requires the driver to provide a clean breath test (no more than .02 percent) before the vehicle can be started.
  • Probation. The terms of your sentencing may well include reporting to a probation officer weekly. Try explaining that to your employer.

  • Community service. You would be lucky to get community service hours, considering the other penalties available to the court to impose on a driver convicted of DUI. Community service is time-consuming, interrupts your work life and your social life – and it probably won’t be your dream job. That said, you might be happy to get out of the house to go anywhere on that restricted license you’ll be holding.

  • Alcohol education/treatment/assessment. You may be required to attend classes on the dangers of alcohol or undergo assessment and treatment if you are determined to be an abuser of alcohol. There’s a little more allowable driving for that restricted license!

  • Your driving privileges outside of Georgia can be restricted if you are convicted of DUI. It is possible that you would be refused an international driver’s license if you required one for international travel.
When you hire Frank Gomez, you have an experienced attorney to protect your rights and reduce your chances of experiencing the harsh consequences of drinking and driving.

Contact DUI Lawyer Frank Gomez today for a free assessment of your case.