The sentences for underage DUIs are a little less severe because the penalty is laid out in the code, which prosecutors and courts follow. However with that said, it is still important you consult with a Fairfax underage DUI lawyer as you are looking at a one-year loss of license and a minimum fine of $500 or 50 hours of community service.
It is a class 1 misdemeanor, and that’s the standard punishment for that offense, which is a little different than the penalties for an adult. Adults are typically looking at suspended jail time, the ASAP program, a fine of a certain amount and a one-year loss of license on a standard first offense.
The punishment is a little different just because the code lays it out, but courts do prosecute it heavily nonetheless. Additionally, there are factors that can make that punishment more severe than what was mentioned above.
If you are convicted of DUI and you’re under 21, then you will lose your license for a period of up to one year from the date of conviction. That’s in addition to the license suspension that occurs when the arresting officer takes your license away for seven days.
You can obtain a restricted license in Fairfax if you are convicted of a DUI and are under 21 years of age. As with any other DUI, you need to go to the court and apply for a restricted license and the judge will decide whether it’s appropriate. The judge can deny the license outright or can limit the places that you can drive to a greater extent than what you applied for. Applying for a restricted license is a possibility, but the judge does not have to grant it, and if the judge does grant it, he or she has the power determine the terms.
The long-term implications of an underage DUI conviction are very, very serious. You’ve now been convicted of a DUI offense in Fairfax, which means that you have been convicted of a crime. Therefore, if you ever apply for a job, you will have to admit that you have been convicted of a crime which can have a long-term impact on your future in general.
Furthermore, the impact will likely be worse if you violate the court’s provisions and end up with driving-on-suspended issues. Also, if you don’t pay your fine or do your community service, you can have other problems. The conviction can have a very long-term impact on your life even though you are fairly young. Basically, the decisions you make at that young age can impact you for the rest of your life.
There are alternatives to jail. In the first place, you’re not necessarily looking at jail time for a first-time underage DUI in Fairfax. The court provides for a fine of $500 or community service in the amount of 50 hours. The judge can also make you undergo an ASAP program or other alcohol program. So the courts typically do not punish by jail on a first offense, although it’s a possibility.
Whether you qualify for alternative sentencing really depends on what the judge wants to do. There are no set terms dictating who qualifies for non-jail sentences. In general, it will be upon your attorney to show that you’re a good candidate for doing community service or paying a fine in lieu of jail time. Showing the court that you have lived an otherwise upstanding life always helps—that you have a job and a future that you’re worried about, and that jail is not the place for you. All these things will help persuade the judge, but it really comes down to each individual judge and each individual defendant to determine whether jail is appropriate based upon the facts of the case at hand.
A Fairfax DUI conviction can affect a student’s status with a university, especially if the offense took place on campus. Of course, the university is going to be concerned about drunk driving on campus, and they’re going to be concerned about having students who have DUI records. Naturally, they want to maintain their image as an upstanding institution, and each individual school treats DUI offenders a little differently. In general, there can be serious consequences to getting a DUI conviction if you are a college student. A student might be required to leave campus or be expelled from the university altogether; it really comes down to what the university wants to do. The university policy is different from campus to campus.
Whether a university will find out about a student’s DUI depends on how thorough the university’s background investigation is. It also depends on whether the incident happened on campus. If it did, the university is highly likely to find out. The university might also find out if they run background checks or ask you if you’ve ever been convicted of a crime.
It depends on how thorough the particular school’s investigations are, but yes, they could find out that you’ve been convicted of DUI even if it didn’t occur on campus. It’s important to note that some universities also require students to self-report. Students can sometimes get in serious trouble for not disclosing arrests to their school. Make sure to read your school’s disciplinary guidelines closely before deciding when and what you need to disclose.