What Happens if You Run From a DUI

 

It seems that there are risk takers everywhere. People like to push the envelope to see how far they can go in almost any situation.  Unfortunately, big risks usually have big punishments to go along with them.  For those individuals that may be considering trying to run from a DUI, they should be aware that there are some well defined penalties.

 

Missing Court

Hiring a DUI attorney with a strong track record of helping people lessen their penalties and fines is always the first step for any one that was arrested for DUI.  People need as much help as they can get in a situation like this and an experienced attorney is money well spent.  But this does not relieve people from the obligation of appearing for court dates.  If you were arrested for DUI then you must be present for every single court proceeding, whether your attorney appears or not.

 

If you do not appear for your court date there will be a warrant out for your arrest, typically referred to as a bench warrant.  It does not matter why you missed court.  The good news is that it may be possible to call and reset your hearing date or surrender yourself to the local jail.  However, the best course of action is to comply with the court's requests and appear in court as instructed.

 

Types of Court Hearings

There are various types of hearings that the court may order according to the case.  Each case is different based on any previous criminal record, the level of the blood alcohol content and any damages that may have occurred while the suspect operated a vehicle.

 

• Administrative Review – Nomally, the judge will schedule an administrative review to make sure the defendant is following the orders set by the court.  This type of review usually will be determined at the sentencing.  This hearing is used to make sure that the defendant is on track with paying the fines, going through the evaluations and working towards completing any treatment that may have been ordered.
• Scheduled Review – Along with the administrative review the judge will likely set a date for a scheduled review.  This review is designed to make sure the defendant is meeting any and all deadlines outline by the court.  Some courts will allow the defendant to miss this hearing if the defenant is meeting the deadlines.  Other courts require the defendant to appear for this hearing. Your DUI lawyer will inform you if you need to appear for this proceeding.
• Unscheduled Review – This is where the risk takers come in.  If the defendant does not follow through with one or more of the orders set by the court an unscheduled review will be set.  The normal procedure involves the court sending written notice to the defendant's last known address to appear for the hearing.  Failure to appear for this review results in a warrant for arrest.

 

Consequences

 

All states in the US are very serious about punishing DUI offenders.  For this reason, the various reviews carry strong consequences to drive home the point that this is no light affair.

 

Anyone that is found guilty of not complying with the court's orders can be punished in a Review Hearing.  Jail time, a monetary fine as well as suspension of a license can all be directed by the outcomes of a review hearing.  To make matters worse, those people that have been previously arrested and convicted of a DUI offense must serve a probation period.  During the probation, many acts carry mandatory jail time for the offender.  These acts include

 

• Driving while the license has been suspended
• Operating a vehicle without the court approved ignition lock device
• Refusing a breath test if stopped by officers.

 

The bottom line is that anyone who has been arrested for a DUI should immediately seek out a professional drunk driving or drugged driving lawyer.  The court system and the ensuing penalties can be overwhelming to a person unfamiliar with the law.  Getting a qualified attorney on your side and following their instructions throughout your entire DUI process will put you in the best possible position to reduce your penalties and make sure that you are in compliance with all of the court's requests.