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Many consequences await if you are convicted of DUI

On Behalf of | Feb 16, 2023 | DUI

You made a mistake and realized it right away. A law enforcement officer pulled you over on a DUI charge. But what you may not comprehend are the additional consequences that may await you.

There are plenty more of those consequences to go around, and they include a few that immediately come to mind: jail, probation, fines and loss of our driver’s license. But others may ambush you as well.

Jail and higher insurance rates

A DUI conviction in Oklahoma represents a stain on your record, and it will be difficult to overcome. Among the consequences you face after a DUI conviction include:

  • Jail and fines: A first-time felony conviction may lead to as much as five years in jail, a yearlong revocation of your driver’s license and $2,500 in fines. Subsequent DUI convictions may lead to up to 10 years in prison, losing your driver’s license for three years and $5,000 in fines.
  • License revocation and suspension: If the driver refuses or fails a breath test in the state, that person’s driver’s license is immediately taken away. If you challenge the ruling and lose in court, your license is suspended for at least six months.
  • Installation of an ignition interlock device: This happens in Oklahoma when drivers have a high blood alcohol content of 0.15 or more. This device prevents your motor vehicle from starting if it detects alcohol on your breath. First-time offenders must have the device in place for 18 months. Second-time offenders with a blood alcohol content of .08 must have the device for four years. Additional convictions will cause offenders to have the device in place for five years.
  • Higher insurance rates: With a conviction, you discover that your insurance company deems you an at-risk driver. Expect you monthly insurance rates to more than double.
  • Jeopardized employment: Your employer may have a code of conduct in place, which may address criminal convictions. Your job may be at risk. Prospective employers also may turn away, discovering your conviction through a background check.

These are a few of the consequences stemming from a DUI conviction. You want to be able to avoid this scenario.

Get crucial legal advice

You want to put this DUI experience well into your past and try to come out as unscathed as possible. To accomplish that, you must seek the advice of an experienced criminal law attorney who will do his or her best to get the charge dismissed or reduced.