Did you get arrested for your second Atlanta DUI?
After your second DUI, you may be all too familiar with how it all works. You get pulled over, the officer suspects alcohol is involved, and asks you to take a field breath test and some field sobriety tests. Whether or not you do the tests, you get arrested, and taken for booking. After release, you know your license may get suspended, and you will have to deal with the courthouse charging you with a second DUI. However, what you may not be aware of is that the penalties for a second time DUI are a lot more severe.
Whether or not you hired an experienced Atlanta DUI defense lawyer after your first DUI, the decision is even more important for the second DUI. It can be relatively simple, after a first-time DUI, to get limited driving permission. With a limited driving permit, you could go to and from work, to and from school, and a few other limited places. That kind of limit can be inconvenient, but may not have a major impact on your life. But after a second DUI in a five-year-period, the driver's license suspension will be much worse, and a limited driving permit may not even be available.
If you live in a place where you can easily walk, or take the bus to everywhere you need to go, a second DUI license suspension may not have a major impact. However, for most of us, we drive our cars almost every day. To and from work, for our jobs, taking family and kids to doctors appointments, buying groceries, and dealing with emergencies. That may all be a thing of the past after a second DUI.
Second DUI Driver's License Consequences
Unlike a first time DUI, a second DUI will include a full 4 month suspension with no driving privileges. For many people, this could put their job at risk. Only after waiting 4 months, an individual can seek a limited driving permit, that must be approved by a judge after required documentation is submitted. This includes: successful completion of a Risk Reduction Course; evaluation and enrollment in a substance abuse treatment program; and installation of an ignition interlock device. If the judge approves, then a limited driving permit may be issued, limiting transportation mostly to work, to school, for community service, and alcohol and drug abuse programs.
It takes at least 18 months before a driver can get their license reinstated by Driver Services, but it can take up to three years. If all the requirements for reinstatement are met, a driver will finally, more than a year and a half later, be able to drive without the permit limitations. In addition to the limitations on driving, the driver will have to pay for license reinstatement, and the IID installation and monitoring.
Georgia Second Time DUI Lawyer
Don't let your second DUI arrest turn into your second DUI conviction. You don't have to plead guilty. There are many ways to fight a second DUI, and keep the conviction off your record, and keep your license to drive. The Office of Lawson and Berry has years of experience defending first time DUIs and multiple DUI charges. Call us anytime, day or night, so we can talk about your case, and what options you have to make sure your rights are defended.