The New MDS Website

So you are pulled over for swerving and the next thing that you know, you are performing several roadside tests. You are then cuffed and placed in the back seat of the police car. He has your car towed and you are taken down to the police station where you are given the "official" breathalyzer test. After all is said and done, you are given several pink slips and left to find your way home because your car is impounded. You have been charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol.

What is this DUI (Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants) or sometimes referred to as DWI (Driving While Under the Influence of Intoxicants)? You are going to want to keep reading because the more you know about your charge, the procedures, etc. the more you are likely not to get in deeper trouble. It is a very serious charge and one that is prone to additional charges being added to it just to drive home a point. It quite possibly could destroy your record forever in the state in which you received the charge. People have been fired from jobs for this, making it that much more difficult to find further employment, according to AZ DUI.

As of recently, meaning the past five years, all fifty states have taken a stand against driving under the influence punishments and are getting tougher and tougher.

Basically, you are considered too intoxicated to operate a motor vehicle when it is determined that your body's alcohol count (BAC) is.08 or above. So when a cop pulls you over he knows very little about your state of being, that is of course, you are not completely trashed. He only finds out by asking you questions which you voluntarily answer (you give the officers less to work with if you don't talk yourself into a hole). After this, and if he thinks you may be intoxicated, he gives you a voluntary road side test as well as a voluntary breathalyzer. From this he will determine if he needs to take you down to the station for processing.

Again, all the states have their own ways of dealing with DUIs and DWIs but if you are found guilty, no matter which state you are in, you will be losing your license anywhere from three months to two years. Immediately after you are charged, check on the state laws concerning DUIs/DWIs and grab an attorney ASAP. Also, it may be a good idea to enroll yourself into an intervention class (a class that revolves around substance abuse and driving). Any attorney would encourage this and can tell you the best place to go for these classes. This lets the courts know that you are actively seeking help.

Be warned though, you will be going into your pocket every step of the way. Be prepared for this. Everything costs... everything!

So go now before you do anything else and enroll in some type of alcohol intervention program. Do that first. Then get yourself an affordable, or if you like, an expensive lawyer. And let him/her advise you of your next steps and what you should expect from the courts.