In Louisiana, here's what you might expect to get
as a MINIMUM penalty for a first-offense DWI:
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Embarrassed while you take a field sobriety test on the side of a public street
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Take a breath test to determine your blood alcohol content
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Arrested on a CRIMINAL charge of DWI (which is now on your record permanently)
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Handcuffed and placed in the back seat of a police car
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Fingerprinted
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Photographed
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Jailed - hopefully with a cell mate who isn't "too friendly"
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Your name may appear in the newspapers and possibly on radio news broadcasts
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Expect to pay a bondsman at least $220 fee to get you out of jail
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Expect to pay a lawyer anywhere from $350 to $1,500 (and possibly more) for handling your case
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Appear in court for an arraignment (miss work and/or school)
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Spend more time in court if a trial is held (miss more work and/or school)
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Attend a pre-sentence interview once you're convicted in court (miss still more work and/or school)
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Another court appearance for sentencing (you guess it - miss work and/or school yet another time)
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Upon a conviction, expect to pay at least $1,046.00 in fines, court costs, probation fees, etc. (that's on top of what was already paid for the bondsman and lawyer)
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Work a minimum of four (4) eight-hour days of community service (32 hours)
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Attend a substance abuse program (another $350.00)
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Attend a driver improvement class (that's right, another $50)
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Have a DWI conviction on your driving record for a minimum of 10 years
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Have your drivers license revoked for at least 90 days
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Car insurance rates will likely double (if not more) over the next three years
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Some job applications require applicants to list any DWI arrests
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Some employers will not hire - or possibly fire - someone with a DWI conviction if the job requires driving a vehicle, because of the high insurance rates caused by the DWI conviction
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| If an accident was involved, additional court action and expense may be involved (if it was a serious accident, you may have only touched the "tip of the iceberg") |
