Are you a teacher? How about a coach? What about somebody else who works in the education field?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you know you are looked up to by many people, including your students. For this reason, being charged with a crime, such as driving under the influence, can have a negative impact on your future.
As one of our New York readers, it goes without saying that you’re familiar with the way police are cracking down on people who are driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. For this reason, taking any risk would not be in your best interest.
Here’s the good thing: Just because you are charged with driving under the influence doesn’t mean you’ll be convicted. With the right strategy, it’s possible that you could overcome the charge and put this in the past once and for all.
Factors that impact DUI sentencing
The sentencing judge will consider a variety of factors when deciding on a punishment. These include but are not limited to:
- Your criminal history, including whether or not you’ve been arrested for DUI in the past.
- The impact of your DUI on others, such as if you caused a car accident that harmed or killed an innocent person.
- Your social, economic, and personal circumstances.
- The remorse or regret that you show in court.
Since the punishment for a DUI conviction can be serious, you must do your best to implement the right defense strategy.
For example, your attorney may be able to argue that the arresting officer did not administer sobriety tests in the appropriate manner. Along the same lines, it may be possible to argue that the test results were inaccurate for some reason.
As a teacher, the last thing you need is a DUI conviction on your record. As if this isn’t bad enough, this could also lead to jail time, vehicle forfeiture, and/or a license suspension. Again, all of these things will have a negative impact on your career.
With so much on the line, you have no time to waste if you’re arrested for this crime. Instead, you need to know your rights and the steps you can take to avoid a serious punishment.