Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is a serious offense. Doing so can dramatically alter your life, and the lives of those around you. Being arrested and convicted of a DUI (or DUII) can carry serious consequences for years to come. If you made the impaired decision to drive after drinking or taking drugs resulting in an arrest, you need to start making clear decisions. One of these is hiring an experienced attorney to represent you during the following case.
While we hope that you never find yourself in this situation, it can help to understand the process of being cited for DUI or DUII. Knowing the impact of your decisions will help to minimize the consequences this citation can have on both your personal and professional life. Your car insurance will likely increase. And yes, one of the consequences of a DUI in Oregon is that you can lose your job as a result of this arrest and conviction.
Your Defense Starts When You Are Pulled Over for a DUI
The State of Oregon enables officers to take and suspend your license at the time of your DUI offense. This will be sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles. You have a few decisions to make at the time when you are pulled over for driving impaired. One of these is whether you take a breathalyzer test. If you do, and your results are higher than 0.08%, the Department of Motor Vehicles will issue you a temporary license for 30 days. If you decline to take this test, your license will be suspended immediately. After being pulled over and cited for driving impaired, you have ten days to request a hearing about your incident.
Missing this opportunity to appeal your citation may result in losing your license from 90 days up to three years. An experienced attorney can help you navigate this process, prepare for, and file for this hearing. These will generally happen within a few weeks of your appeal.
Your Court Case
The consequences of a DUI in Oregon are not over after you have completed the license suspension process. You will have the possibility of facing a court case as well. If you’ve been arrested, there is a good chance that you may be released with a date to appear in court to answer for the citation. If you have not been held after your arrest, you may be released with an agreement to appear in court.
Arraignment
The first phase of the court proceedings will be your arraignment. This is when the court will tell you what you are being charged with. You may be read your rights depending on the type of court case. And you will have the chance to either plead innocent or guilty. Eggert attorneys will confidently prepare you for this court appearance. Having handled many DUI and DUII cases, we are able to walk you through every step of the process, prepare you questions that you will likely have to answer, and go through the consequences and possibilities of pleading guilty or not guilty, or entering the DUI diversion program instead.
Pleading guilty at this time will lead to your sentencing. Pleading not guilty will result in a follow up court date. Entering DUI diversion can eventually lead to the charge being dismissed.
Managing the Consequences of a DUI Arrest
The consequences of your citation and arrest are very much dependent upon your previous driving record. If this is your first offense of this type, you may receive mandatory substance abuse counseling. In addition to this counseling, you may also lose your driving privileges for up to one year. The court may decide to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicles to ensure compliance with their decisions. Other consequences that you could face are community service, a short amount of jail time, and fines. Hiring an experienced attorney can help you prepare for this case and mitigate some of these potential consequences.
If this is not your first time facing a conviction of this type, the consequences become much more serious. You can face serious jail time, permanent loss of your license and more.