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610-436-1410
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610-436-1410When you’re charged with driving while impaired in Pennsylvania, it’s easy to imagine the most impactful consequence is losing your license or going to jail. Beyond any immediate consequences, you may have fines you have to pay, challenges to employment, and collateral fallout to your social standings.
Facing DUI charges alone can be overwhelming, especially as you consider more and more consequences outside of the strict legal aftermath of a conviction. A skilled West Chester DUI defense attorney can help you avoid the worst by either getting your charges dropped or reduced. Learn how a DUI conviction can affect your financial independence in Pennsylvania.
Collateral consequences of a DUI conviction are often overlooked. Your reputation can be damaged, your ability to get a new job can be threatened, and you may have challenges finding new education opportunities. An experienced Pennsylvania DUI lawyer can help you understand these issues.
With the proliferation of internet accessibility, personal computers, and electronic devices including smartphones, virtually anyone can now access publicly available criminal records. Potential employers, lenders, landlords, rental and other agencies, and even dates, may all search a name online and immediately discover a person’s DUI history.
The chance of missing out on important opportunities—everything from finding a place to live to getting a good job—is exponentially increased for anyone who has been convicted of a crime. Even though most DUIs are misdemeanors, a potential date, boss, or investor may not understand or care what that means, and instead simply see the mark of a criminal record as automatically disqualifying.
If you lose your license because of a driving under the influence arrest or conviction, your transportation options become extremely limited. In most situations, you will not be able to drive yourself to work or school. You may not be able to get your other family members to where they need to go either.
If you are a commercial driver, have to use an employer’s vehicle to complete your duties, or drive for a rideshare company, your source of income may be gone as long as you do not have a valid driver’s license. Additionally, even if you do not drive for work right now, you may not be able to drive for work in the future because many jobs require a clean driving record. A suspended driver’s license may be temporary, while a DUI conviction may become a permanent problem.
Even if you can apply for an occupational limited driver’s license, your freedom is still significantly less than getting your DUI dropped or reduced.
Many colleges and universities check for criminal records of applicants as part of their admissions processes. Some institutions will not admit a new student with a criminal record, and even those that do may not offer scholarships, grants, or other funding that would make their program affordable.
Employment, earning potential, and lifetime income are closely related to education. When a criminal record negatively impacts a potential student’s ability to get an education or professional qualification, it may have an exponentially detrimental impact on their future. Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show weekly earnings vary according to degrees of education, with averages of:
The difference of lifetime earnings for a person who was unable to access higher education and qualifications versus someone who was is millions of dollars. If a DUI conviction derails a person’s chances for admission to and financing of college, it can effectively derail their entire economic future.
The social stigma of a DUI conviction may harm an offender’s reputation and relationships, and follow them long into their future. Peers, co-workers, associates in the community, and general acquaintances may judge and even reject a person if their criminal record is known, and even mostly understanding family and friends may no longer trust or view their loved one in the same way.
It may seem like common sense, but fighting criminal charges are in your best interest. Not only will a conviction affect your criminal record, which may make future criminal consequences worse, but your freedoms will be severely limited.
Take the potential financial hardshipsassociated withx a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI). These costs currently average as much as $30,000. While DUI fees and fines vary by state, the costs associated with a DUI conviction may include significantly higher auto insurance rates, mandatory treatment expenses, time off work to serve a jail sentence, and more. Other well-known burdens of a conviction include having a suspended license and reputational harm.
You can challenge a DUI charge without a lawyer or with a public defender’s assistance, but you stand a much better chance when you work with a defense attorney who can focus on your unique needs. Hiring a skilled DUI defense attorney gives you a resource who understands the challenges and consequences you are facing. Your defense lawyer will know how to dispute your charges, gather evidence to support your case, and represent you in court, keeping the prosecution from taking advantage of your fear.
Yes. Most DUI convictions appear on criminal background checks, including those run by employers, landlords, schools, and lenders. Unless the conviction is expunged or sealed (which is rare and only available in limited cases), it can remain part of your public record for many years, potentially for life.
Yes. Certain professional boards and licensing agencies in Pennsylvania may take disciplinary action against individuals convicted of DUI. Nurses, teachers, lawyers, commercial drivers, and others in licensed professions could face suspension or revocation of their credentials. A conviction could also make it harder to obtain a new license in the future, especially in fields that require a clean criminal record.
Getting a DUI while on probation for a different charge can trigger a probation violation. This may lead to additional penalties, including extended probation, jail time, or revocation of a previous plea deal. It can also make it harder to negotiate favorable terms in your DUI case.
If you or a loved one have been arrested and charged with DUI, speak to an experienced DUI defense attorney as soon as possible. Getting a DUI conviction can immediately cost you financially, and it can cost you even more, in many other ways, for years to come. Don’t wait to get legal help, because you may not be able to afford not having an experienced advocate on your side.
Michael J. Skinner at Skinner Law Firm has successfully represented clients by negotiating with prosecutors and thoroughly investigating cases to establish all applicable defenses. Contact Skinner Law Firm at (610) 436-1410 or online to schedule a free consultation and learn if we may be able to help you.
Michael J. Skinner, the founder of Skinner Law Firm LLC, is a former prosecutor with the Chester County District Attorney’s Office.
