We all know that partying is imprinted in the nature of our existence. I am confident that you have already been to a lot of parties in your life. At these parties, we cannot deny that alcohol and other substances, such as weed, mushrooms, or even drugs, are always present. These substances are the reasons why DUI accidents happen.
Driving under the influence of substances and drunk driving are prominent reasons for car accidents. However, there are instances where a law enforcer pulls you over because of your suspicious driving due to alcohol or other chemical substance. It will be challenging to escape the law regarding DUI crimes, which is why there are plenty of drivers who already have DUI charges on their record. But others don’t stop with a single DUI offense and often get caught for the second time. This is why the second DUI offense exists.
If you ever experienced being caught for a second DUI, you need to hire a more reliable and experienced criminal defense lawyer that understands how to deal with a DUI case for the second time around. Hiring from a law firm specializing in DUI cases if you ever have a second DUI offense since the law would be more strict and file huge charges against you. If you want to know how bad a second DUI crime is, you better continue reading until the end of this article.
How bad is it?
Knowing that a DUI charge is a serious offense, you can already imagine how bad a second DUI offense will opt to be. For some obvious reasons, a second DUI offense has more substantial penalties and enhanced consequences. You will not only be paying fines and have your license suspended, but you will also have to attend substance abuse education programs and mandatory jail time. If you are unfortunate enough to be charged with a second DUI in stricter countries, you are also required to install an IIDs or an ignition interlock device on your vehicle.
The penalties don’t stop there; unlike your first DUI offense, your jail time will increase to up to 1 year. However, if your case is special, you will be allowed to switch your jail time into a house arrest or community service. The fines will also be expensive compared to your first time. You are asked to pay approximately $390 up to $1,000. That amount will increase if the court will decide that you need more penalty assessment or added hours on your substance abuse education.
In countries like California, you will receive an additional consequence of 3-5 years of probation. You are also asked to attend a mandatory DUI school for 18 months and an additional two years of your license suspension. As you can see, the jail time and your license suspension are not the same. This means there will come to a point where you have already served your time in prison, and you are ready to live your everyday life again, but your license is still suspended. In that case, you need to apply for a restricted ignition interlock license that will allow you to drive your car to work or school legally.
If you don’t want to experience any of these, you should learn from your first DUI offense and avoid doing it again. Having to undergo all of these consequences just for that one night of partying is not worth it.
