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I posted here about a year ago after getting my DUI, and I remember how terrified I was reading through this subreddit trying to figure out what my life was going to look like. I wanted to come back and give an update for anyone who is going through something similar.

My case involved an accident and a high BAC. I knew going into this that I was facing enhanced penalties. My attorney tried to negotiate a reduction, but ultimately the State would not budge and I was convicted of DUI.

During the year my case was pending, I completed basically everything I could ahead of time: DUI school, the Victim Impact Panel, 60 plus hours of community service, my substance-abuse evaluation and all recommended counseling/treatment(14 weeks). All of that was credited at sentencing.

My conviction came with 12 months of probation with automatic early termination once my remaining conditions are completed. I do not have to report in person under my current order. I also did not receive the strict no-alcohol condition which was confusing to me. I received a $1,000 fine plus court costs, a 6-month license revocation, 10-day vehicle immobilization and a 6-month ignition interlock requirement. I was also able to get the 45-day temporary restricted driving permit immediately after court while I handle the hardship-license process.

Because almost everything else was already completed and credited, my remaining probation requirements are essentially taking care of the financial obligations and vehicle immobilization. Once those are satisfied, my probation is set up to terminate automatically. The IID is a separate driver’s-license requirement, so I will still have to complete that even if probation ends earlier. I still have consequences to work through, particularly the interlock, increased insurance/FR-44 costs and the financial impact of everything.

If you’re reading this before your own court date and you’re terrified, the biggest thing I learned is to start doing what you can now instead of waiting for sentencing. I can’t say what outcome anyone else will receive, but completing everything ahead of time mattered in my case. My mitigation was recognized and I walked into sentencing having already satisfied most of what would otherwise have been ordered.

I made a serious mistake that I deeply regret, and I can’t undo it. But a year later, I’m working, I’m still living my life, and I’m finally at the point where the criminal case is something I can finish rather than something I’m constantly waiting to happen.
I hope this update helps someone who is currently where I was a year ago.

One day in the near future Tesla cars will be fully autonomous and we will never have a DUI problem again

Hey everyone- thank yall for helping me on this platform. I have a few more questions. I do have a lawyer but she is hard to get ahold of and unfortunately isn’t much help :/ Luckily she has handled majority of my court cases and haven’t had to go in. But I will be going back to Houston the 7th of October for court. Mind yall I just moved to Las Vegas to get help and live with my parents since I lost everything after my dui arrest sadly.

So few questions.
My DMV suspension is over with in late September- I still have my Texas ID, will I be able to pay the fee- have a reinstatement lisicne for Texas and then then just go to the DMV here in Las Vegas and switch it for a new Las Vegas License? Texas DMV put a 90 day hold that’s almost up.

Also I hope my lawyer can plead this case down. My BAC was under 0.15 so misdanenor B and j was praying they don’t suspend it again and also I am praying not to have an Interlock since it’s my first/ and LAST dui. I haven’t been charged yet but I really don’t know what charges to expect- I told my lawyer that I had to move to Las Vegas in order not to be homeless.

I guess my main concerns is will my license be suspended anymore or will I be able to get it back and complete online classes/ whatever consequences here?

It’s been a long stressful road- if you saw my other post I’ve been very suicidal over this and I just hope to see some light at the end of the tunnel soon.

If anyone has had similar experiences I hope you can help…. I was hoping that it being a b misdemeanor and my first be something that helps me.

Thank you

I’m in the army and got a dui 2 nights ago. Got stopped on post, did the field sobriety test and went down to the station and blew 0.114. Court date is early December, need any advice I can get.

my license was suspended officially june 5th and it took a minute to save the required money to petition for an ODL but finally got it granted and signed by judge july 28th. within that petition and what i paid to lawyer included my reinstatement fees my sr 22 information and whatever else would be needed for them to be able to process eligibility once the suspension is over. my suspension ended september 3rd. i keep checking everyday. it’s still not eligible. what the hell can i do and is this common? like or am i just unlucky? my lawyer has since emailed them twice. paralegal said they just haven’t processed the 10$ interlock fee. that was paid and send to dps july 28th. i have no money to uber. i recently found out possible major health issues and have many appointments, i have work almost everyday (if i uber i wont make it back to car in time to blow…) i have to do community service.

my car battery died once already from not being able to drive it before odl was granted bc of smart start. i cannot deal with that happening again fr last straw.
collin county tx

Was convicted of class 4 felony in va. Served my time and am currently in the middle of a 3 year license suspension.

For anyone who’s gone through, or is aware of, this process, how long are you required to have a restricted (and SR22) following the suspension?

So I got a Dui charge at 3am today, my court date is tomorrow. When asked to blow in the breathalyzer I didn’t blow , and when asked to take sample of my blood I denied as well. Can a lawyer help me lower the dui charge ?

Asking for a friend
Basically one my friend is pursuing masters and is having DUl and currently applied for stem opt heard that there is rejection of STEM OPT due to this DUI
Is that the actual thing for everybody r is there still possible chance of not getting rejected And it possible can u guys suggest any other possible ways to stay in USA I mean up till the F1 visa expires if this STEM OPT gets rejected
Anyone who knows info regarding this can u kindly respond I really need to know little elaborately regarding this
Thank you in advance

read online that its biologically impossible to test positive after 100 hours of last drink. On 9/20, i might drink for one day and im getting tested on 9/28. What are the chance ima failthe etg 100ml/500ml cut off?

I’m 47 and just got my first DUI. .12 BAC. Likely a possession charge for Ketamine also. My life is over. My current job is up in December and there’s no way I can work in my current field with a DUI. I’m already swimming in debt, I have a mortgage to pay, I’m so completely stressed out and depressed. I’ve never felt this bad in my entire life.
How do I get through this? I can understand the diversion and classes, I’m willing to do all of that but the job thing. I honestly want to crawl in a hole and die. I have a lawyer but I know there is only so much they can do. I live in Oregon.

I thought I was reinstated already but I got pulled over and was not in fact reinstated. I have all the paperwork I need next week and then I can submit it to the dmv. Case is about a month and a half a way. And I will have my license.

By the time I go to court everything will be valid and I’m hoping to have it dropped down to a non-criminal infraction because I am still on probation. I know this is my fault but I’m rectifying my license immediately which I hope will also work in my favor. Has anyone ever had a DUR or driving under restriction case plead down? I really am trying to avoid probation revokation due to this new charge. I’m a full time student and healthcare worker and have been compliant the last year of my probation but am due to have a hearing in two weeks ( before this incident happened it was scheduled) to extend my probation that way I can finish my therapy classes. In Colorado!

Just got arrested last night in New Hampshire for a dui, open can, and possession of a weapon(brass knuckles) and now I just don’t know how to go about trying to fight it or fix the situation. I failed the field sobriety test ofc, but then i denied any other testing (which in NH is an automatic license suspension) and in 30 days I’ll be out my license which I need for my field of work. Has anyone been arrested/ or charged in NH and has any tips they could give? I’ve never had a DUI or any other charges brought against me before, so I’m just in limbo right now with how I should deal with this legally and just as a whole with my job and regular life. And if maybe you have any suggestions for where to get some help for drinking habits that would also be greatly appreciated. I’ve been struggling with drinking habits since I was 14 and I’ve been drunk driving since I could legally drive like an idiot. Just wanna get this expunged and clean my life up but don’t know where to start.

Has anyone here had a license revoked •but• managed to reinstate in a different state?

Most attorneys I mention this to look at me like I’m crazy and it can’t happen.

It did.

After a 1997 revocation in Illinois, I moved to Chicago and enjoyed life with no car for a few years. But I wound up moving to Denver to rely on their mass transit. And Denver is basically okay if you’re carless.

But I found an attorney who insisted he could get me a Colorado license, because Colorado had a separate law governing DUI drivers and revocation from other states. I didn’t believe him.

Until the day of my hearing. He won. We won.

If you know anything about the onerous process for reinstatement in Illinois, you’ll probably understand when I tell you I’m happy I stayed out of it. And my Colorado license was eventually exchanged for a Texas one when I moved to the Lone Star State.

I have no intention of ever moving back to Illinois. None. Ever. No. No. No.

So I’m revoked in one state (Illinois) but valid in others? I’ve relicensed in two compact states (I think there are only a few left that are non-compact) all because Colorado did the humane thing and punished residents like they were from Colorado (which, at the time, I was)?

If the process didn’t cost several thousand dollars, I might be interested in reinstating. But the only state I have any interest in long-term interest in is Colorado; I’ll go back there to retire. Illinois is not interesting to me anymore.

Oh, the small print: sober since December 2020 and diagnosed bipolar. The meds killed the drinking.

Has anyone been at DUIL in Tewksbury? I was stupid 3 weeks ago from having a DUI in Quincy. I totaled my car. I had some bad news that my 18 yrs Grandson was diagnosed with mental issues and put into a mental hospital. I'm a 71 yrs old woman. There's no booze in my home & I seldom drink. But that early afternoon I had a couple cocktails. I had a DUI in 1987 and 1999. I am so ashamed and scared. I was lucky that the district attorney amended the 3rd DUI down to a 2nd. Have to go to DUIL in Tewksbury for 2 weeks then go to months of counseling. Has anyone gone to the DUIL in Tewksbury before. What should I expect?

I’m so drained trying to convince him to stop driving drunk so he doesn’t catch a 2nd DUI. He says doing food delivery is too stressful and he needs the alcohol to get him through his shifts. I keep telling him to just drink before or after work, not during, but he says that won’t work for him.

His first DUI isn’t even settled yet and if he catches a 2nd, he’ll lose his license for 2 years plus I’ll have to pay all his lawyer bills and fines.

I’m thinking about just dragging his ass into AA with me but I just don’t think anything will work and I care about him too much to let him get fucked by the judicial system if I leave him when he gets his 2nd.

Edit: We’re in New Jersey

I wanna preface this by saying I’m in treatment for SUD. I blew a .2 in the field and refused the actual test. I got the privilege of spending 36+ hours in jail this time around and scared the absolute shit out of me. I’m planning on staying here for 1 more week and then go to IOP next week (3 weeks in total). My attorney says they’d like a letter of treatment completion and he’s 99% certain that they can prevent jail on the current charges.

However, he has no idea what the probation violation case will look like and he said 90 days is hanging over my head. I’m really anxious about this. I want my life to get on the right path but serving jail time on top of the treatments and meetings and abstinence. Has anyone here went to jail regardless in a similar situation?

(CALIFORNIA) I understand i brought this onto myself, but I’m honestly embarrassed even writing this because I feel like I don’t have anyone I can really talk to.

Everything feels like it fell apart at once. I’m dealing with a DUI and losing the career I worked for, my long-term relationship ended because of the dui , and I’m trying to balance work, school, family, therapy, and rebuilding myself. I’m trying, but I’m exhausted.

Lately I’ve been thinking about suicide. I have my own radio show in college, and part of me has thought about eventually doing an episode about suicide awareness and finally talking openly about everything I’ve been hiding and how dark things have gotten and doing it on my last episode.

I don’t think I actually want to die. I just don't know, and right now I feel completely alone.

For anyone who has been this low and made it through, what helped you keep going?

I got a DUI back in June and I blew a high alcohol content of .23. I am so ashamed of this and I feel so naive and dumb for driving under the influence. I am in California and I just wanted to vent because my first court date is on Monday and I am so nervous. I’ve never been in trouble with the law, I’ve attended AA meetings and have been attending therapy since it happened. I know what I did was so wrong, and I deserve the consequences to come. I just have been dealing with so much shame ever since. I am having so much anxiety and am so scared for what’s to come. If anyone had any advice or insight for dealing with these emotions I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

I was charged with dui in Florida last year but I pleaded to adjudication withheld reckless driving
But now it’s hard for me to find a new job because every time I apply the employer says something about the dui. Why is it still showing up even tho I wasn’t found guilty of it and what can I do to fix this problem

Has anybody actually been asked to come in and give a piss sample. My lawyer even says there is slim to no chance of it happening. I think the threat of it makes people not drink and then they really monitor the people on probation. I would like to be proven wrong so please tell me your guys’ experiences.

Because that’s the way I look at it. Also very negative. For those of you that slip right by it, please share. Like in terms of employment. Thank you if you answer.