Getting on with life after a DUI

Many individuals find it very difficult to ever put their DUI in the past. These fears arise from concerns with employment, immediate problems with transportation and revealing the unpleasant information to others involved in their personal lives. Objectively speaking, everyone knows that there is some sort of professional way to handle this situation. The simple fact is, like anything in life, the only remedy to alleviate stress is action. Hopefully this blog post will direct you in taking action with your life and your DUI.Problems regarding employment are often the primary concern of any individual charged with a DUI. Unfortunately, only a lawyer can give you proper advice regarding career decisions resulting form a DUI. I will say though, the absolute best thing you can do for yourself, is initiate a plan of action to handle all aspects of your DUI professionally. The golden rule, in handling any sort of criminal record seems to be: “Don’t mention it, but if they ask, come clean.” It is important to note that a first DUI is not a felony, thus does not carry any of the horrible consequences and negative connotations of a felony. Most employers ask the following question, “have you ever been convicted of a felony?” to which everyone can answer NO. Please try to build your confidence, not letting your mistakes weigh you so far down that you refuse to try! Work is not everything, so it is important to have a plan for handling other aspects of life that may be effected by DUI.Financial concerns are often the largest burden of anyone living with a DUI conviction. The financial ramifications vary greatly, simply because of a little thing called “life.” Honestly, some individuals are only effected by the initial court and lawyer fees, while others lose jobs and consequently everything else. Your job in this situation, is to make sure that you do everything humanly possible to ensure that you lose as little as possible. Plan out scenarios where the DUI could cause potential problems and always have a plan. Think of quality excuses why you cannot drive or are busy taking care of sentencing punishments. This is your JOB, no one else will do this for you. Get creative, and get going with this. If nothing else, you will feel much better about yourself, knowing that you are taking care of your concerns and fears.

The Following website is dedicated to helping those dealing with a DUI in Florida
http://the-florida-dui.com

My Experience with DUI and driving restrictions

Hi, My name is Neil, I have found this blog and very much feel the need to share my personal experiences involving my DUI in the state of Florida. The following is in regard to Driving restrictions.I personally chose to "refuse" the sobriety tests and breathalyzer examination at the time my arrest. Due to my "refusal" I automatically lost my drivers license for a full year. If you did not already know, refusing to submit to a sobriety test is grounds for a license suspension of an entire year. Submitting to a breathalyzer exam and blowing over the legal limit will result in a six-month suspension. This is the law, fair or not, and I have had to abide by these laws the last 10 months. With only 2 more months to go, until I can drive on a fully reinstated license again, I have much to share. I might as well start from the beginning, as most people reading this are eagerly searching for answers. I was arrested for DUI in February of 2007. Immediately after my arrest, I had the standard 10 day period to continue driving, presenting me with a small window to settle my personal affairs. I highly recommend using this time period to search for a good lawyer, as you will not be able to search around in your own car after the 10-days are up. After finding a good lawyer I was able to get a "business purposes only license." This license enabled me to drive to school/work as well as medical and religious appointments. If caught driving outside these exceptions, I would undoubtedly be arrested and put back in the most miserable place in the world; jail. If a cop was to pull me over and I was unable to prove that I was driving to one of the accepted destinations he would have every right to arrest me for Driving on a suspended license. This would also violate my probation, forcing me to start my year probationary term all over again! Needless to say, I would not recommend driving on your suspended license. I do of course realize that many people do it everyday, and the odds of getting caught are in your favor, but just like a DUI, it only takes once. The Business Purposes only license I was given expired after 90 days. This of course, was before my court date, so I had to wait until the court date to be re-eligible for another business purposes license. After Court I was told that I would be eligible for another Business Purposes license 90 days from the expiration date of my previous one. Had I never received my first BPO(Business Purposes only license), I would have been able to receive the BPO License that day in court. However, I definitely needed the first one, as it was necessary for me. I only mention this because not everyone may need it right away, thus enabling them to wait until their respected court date, taking care of it all after that date instead. During the 90 day waiting period to be eligible for a new BPO license I did not have a valid license. After the 90 days however, I was able to fully reinstate my license to business purposes only, which did not expire until my original year suspension was up or I violated the terms of the BPO license consequently losing the privileges. After receiving this license there really is nothing else to the driving restrictions. Basically, you know the rules and you have to follow them until the date of your one year suspension is up, (or in the case of submitting, your 6 months suspension). After the one year suspension is up, I will be able to revert back to my former glory and drive whenever and wherever I want :)

One final note: In order to receive a Business Purposes Only License you must apply for one with the Drivers license Hearings office. Your lawyer will guide you through this process, or if you did not choose to acquire a lawyer, the DMV will provide you with all of the necessary information. You will present your case to a hearings officer, explaining why you need the BPO license. He or She will ask you a few questions and make sure that you have not violated any of the terms of your sentencing, in regards to driving restrictions. Upon approval you will pay your reinstatement fee of around $150.00 right there and have a photo license mailed to you. This process was very easy and not nearly as intimidating as it appeared to be. I would definitely not worry about whether or not you will be approved.

I have found the following site very helpful with all Florida DUI related issues and concerns:
http://the-florida-dui.com/