Formulate A Plan Of Action After A DWI Arrest
Posted on: 18 May 2018
If you were arrested for driving while intoxicated and were recently released on bail, it is time to formulate a plan of action that will prevent you from serving jail time if you are found guilty during your trial. The guidelines that follow will help you make your way through the legal system while keeping your sanity and moving forward in your life in a dignified manner.
Accept What Has Happened And Seek Legal Aid
You might feel as if you were beaten down and kicked into a corner, which will not be useful when attempting to move past this obstacle. Take one day to fully absorb what has happened and accept it for what it is. There is no use blaming yourself for the rest of your life or thinking about ways that you could have prevented what happened. The past is the past, so now it is time to focus on the present.
Seek legal aid through your county courthouse. If you are short on funds, apply for a public defender by filling out the appropriate paperwork. Your attorney will be your confidant during this trying time, and you must realize that you need to be honest with him/her and admit to the charge that you were handed.
If you have a relatively clean record and are a decent, hard-working person, your attorney may be able to focus on these facts during your trial, which could assist with receiving a reduced sentence or fine.
Attend Meetings And Give Back To Your Community
Keeping your mind occupied will eliminate those moments where you revert to blaming yourself incessantly and sinking into despair. If you attend alcoholics anonymous meetings, you may find that you have a lot in common with the other attendees and you will learn about addiction and the devastating effects that can occur as a result.
Even if you think that your drinking and driving experience was an isolated case, it does not hurt to surround yourself with others who are attempting to give up alcohol for good. Another way to keep busy is by giving back to your community. Volunteering to read to the elderly, picking up trash alongside the road, or participating in a recycling drive are just a few ways that you can do something positive for the people in your community.
Seek A Interlock Device Or Provisional License
If your attorney is pretty sure that you will be found guilty, all hope is not lost. If you drive to your place of employment each day and will have a hard time maintaining your job if your license is suspended, your attorney can present this information to the judge and can request that an interlock device is installed in your vehicle or that you are provided with a provisional license.
With an interlock device, you will be required to blow through a small tube which will detect your blood alcohol level. If you haven't consumed alcohol, your key will work in your vehicle's ignition. With a provisional license, you will be granted permission to drive to and from work but will be restricted from driving anywhere else for a specific length of time.
For more information, contact your local DWI attorney.
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