Driving under the influence is a criminal offense in all states, which means anyone convicted of a DUI will have a criminal record when all is said and done.
The thing is, most people arrested for DUI are hardly criminals in the real sense of the word. More often than not, they’ve never run afoul of the law, and they don’t have a criminal record anywhere.
In all likelihood, most DUI offenders—particularly the first-time ones—are simply people who made the mistake of drinking and driving.
It’s a good thing then that this mistake can be partially rectified by signing up for proactive DUI treatment programs.
How To Be Proactive About Your DUI Case
A DUI arrest is unfortunate, but it’s not the end of the world. Once you’re charged with a DUI, you have to face it head-on. Your actions got you where you are now, and it’s always best to accept your responsibility for them.
A DUI conviction will bring on consequences that include jail time and probation. Sometimes, a judge may choose to require DUI offenders to attend DUI classes as part of a suspended sentencing arrangement. This can also be done as a condition of the DUI offender’s probation.
However, you don’t have to wait for a court order to sign up for DUI school. If you’re being proactive about your case, then attending DUI classes before your case goes to court is one indication that you actually are. Your DUI lawyer might even recommend that you do such a thing.
What DUI Classes Do
Entering an alcohol education program voluntarily means that you are serious about bettering yourself, among other things.
Whatever program length you choose, your attendance in DUI classes will help you learn about alcohol dependency. You will learn to identify the triggers that lead you to drink and techniques to avoid activating those triggers.
DUI classes will also guide you toward making better and responsible life decisions, like how to deal with scenarios that could lead to another DUI incident.
If you’re attending DUI education classes, you also need to be prepared for lectures about how dangerous DUI can get.
At some point, you may hear from DUI offenders whose drunk driving caused severe injuries and deaths, and how their lives turned upside down after their conviction. Showing you gruesome images of drunk driving accidents is also par for the course in a DUI class.
Benefits of Joining A DUI Treatment Program
Recognizing and accepting that your DUI arrest is a wake-up call is a great way of being proactive about it. With your DUI arrest, you will get to realize that you may have an alcohol problem. DUI treatment programs will help you get started in that regard.
By attending DUI school, you will get to face your issues with alcohol the soonest possible time. You can even do one better by signing up for rehab at some point to reinforce everything you have initially learned and realized during your DUI classes.
If your license was suspended immediately after your arrest, completing DUI classes might help lift that suspension and enable you to drive again.
Proactively participating in DUI education programs may also help improve the perception the judge hearing your case might have of you.
Your willingness to spend time, money, and effort to educate yourself about the dangers of drunk driving may just help your DUI case.
Your DUI attorney can also use your completion of DUI classes to make a deal for reduced penalties in the event of a conviction.
Being proactive about your DUI case can help bring about better results.
Even when the court ends up convicting you on the DUI charge, you can take comfort in the fact that you have already completed DUI school, which will most certainly be among the penalties that come with the conviction. That would be one less thing to worry about, allowing you to focus your energies on fulfilling the court’s other orders.
Lauren Kunis – Stonewall Institute
Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle