It was just a fun night, or at least it was supposed to be until one drink lead to another to a night of mistakes. The end result was you in cuffs at the police station for DUI charges. This story is one of the most common in the world, as most people fall prey to the temptation of drinking too much and then thinking they are coherent enough to drive. Its all fun and games until the cops pull you over, take you to the station and then slap a DUI charge on you. Next thing you know, you're in a dire need for a Drunk Driving Attorney Woodland Hills has. If you got charged the first time then you were got charged with a DUI misdemeanor. But what is that, how is it different from a DUI felony? Well, allow me to explain.
Misdemeanors, in general, are less serious crimes than felonies and do not involve the possibility of prison time. Most misdemeanors are typically punishable by some jail time, a fine, and probation. In the context of an drunk driving offense, a misdemeanor DUI is typically charged for a first-time DUI offense without any aggravating circumstances such as having a child younger than the age of 18 in the car, injuring or killing another person, or having prior DUI convictions. Most people who are arrested and charged face misdemeanor DUI allegations. If you have a good Drunk Driving Attorney Woodland Hills has, then you can probably get off with a minor sentence paying off a fine rather then jail time. If you don't have an attorney then the government will provide a defense attorney for you that will fight the case for you. A misdemeanor DUI will not require a hearing where as a felony DUI would definitely require one.
In the case of a misdemeanor, this is the proceedings trajectory: a person is arrested, then charged, then arraigned, and then has a pretrial conference (and if he or she does not plead out here) then goes to trial. Whereas in felony, you're looking at several court proceedings leading up to the actual trial, and then a minimum of one year in prison and then the effects of having a felony on record, which is the worst thing you can possibly imagine. But if its your first time then you'll just be charged with a misdemeanor.
If convicted with a misdemeanor then it all depends on how states impose sentences, meaning you may or may not end up with a short jail sentence. If not then you'll have community service because it's a first offence. Your sentence isn't limited to jail time, you can also rack up probation, a huge fine, DUI classes and in some cases license suspension leaving you incapable of driving. In some states, there is a mandatory minimum jail sentence for a misdemeanor DUI, but often times you will be able to serve that sentence on an alternative work or community service program.
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