The repercussions of a DUI conviction can have far-reaching impacts. You may fear that you could potentially face jail time after a DUI charge, and your mind may begin to race when it comes to considering the other possibilities such a predicament could have on your life. Having a mark on your record could cause some issues for your life, but you do have the opportunity to mount a defense against the charges.
In order to better understand the potential impacts a DUI can have, you need to assess the particular details of your case. After you have more information on the charges themselves and understand how the situation behind your arrest supposedly made the charges applicable, you may gain a better idea of what potential outcomes you could face.
Direct punishment
If you do get convicted of a DUI charge, you could face certain direct punishments. Even for a first-time offense, the court could suspend your license and you could face a significant fine. As a result, these direct punishments could also lead to other consequences such as having to find an alternate way to work and dealing with the possible insurance hikes after getting your license back.
Personal judgment
Though a judge may hand down the ruling on your criminal case, you could also face other judgment in your personal life. For instance, a serious DUI mark on your record could affect future applications for jobs or other situations, especially if the DUI charge was a felony. Additionally, you could potentially even lose close friends after such an event if they have strong personal feelings about your situation. This last situation may seem particularly unfair since extenuating circumstances may have played a role in your case.
Other personal impacts
Finding yourself facing a DUI charge can also have other personal impacts. You may begin to feel immense stress over having to handle legal proceedings and worry about what outcomes may result. Furthermore, you will lose time you may wish to spend on other things that you must now devote to handling your legal case.
Defending against charges
Of course, in hopes of avoiding the negative impacts of facing a DUI charge, you will likely want to devise a criminal defense. A successful defense could result in the dismissal of your charges or a not-guilty verdict, which could allow you to move forward without a conviction on your record. In order to find out more information on possible consequences of DUI charges and find out how to defend against them effectively, you may wish to consult with an experienced Tennessee attorney.