Maintaining the responsibility of children is difficult enough, but what happens if your child is arrested for driving under the influence? Although you might feel hurt or even betrayed by your child, you may also feel the need to help them fix their mistake. The question is how. Our team has created a list of steps for you to follow.
Understand the Consequences
When your child calls you and informs you of their DUI arrest, your first instinct may include ignoring their call or letting them sit in a jail cell. Although you might feel your child should face their charges without your help, there are a number of things to remember:
- Firstly, by the time your child calls you, they have likely spent a number of hours in jail or are currently calling you while in front of a police officer. They are embarrassed, afraid, and in need of your help.
- Secondly, unlike other juvenile crimes, DUI convictions are permanent and are not sealed upon the child’s 18th birthday; not to mention the fact that underage DUI sentences are often harsher than typical DUI punishments.
- Thirdly, a DUI conviction will result in long-lasting consequences, such as college rejection, financial hardship, and the inability to get a job. Although you may feel your child should take responsibility for their actions, a DUI conviction can potentially impact the rest of their life.
Your Fight Is Our Fight
Get Your Child Released
Talk to the appropriate police officer and discuss the details of your child’s bail. If you can, get your child released as soon as possible. Anything your child says while in custody may be used against them in court by authorities, so wait to discuss the details of their arrest until after they are released.
Contact a DUI Defense Lawyer & File for an Administrative License Suspension Hearing
After your child is released, immediately contact a DUI defense lawyer. An attorney can help your child file for an Administrative License Suspension hearing within 10 days of the arrest. Without this, your child will not be able to contest the license suspension, which could range anywhere from 6 months to 1 year.
We understand that you may be going through a difficult situation and we are ready to help however we can.
Help Defend Your Child’s Case
During your child’s court case, it is important to remain supportive and rely on legal experience of your attorney. Some of the most common underage DUI strategies include:
- Appealing to the empathy of the prosecutors
- Tailoring arguments to the presiding judge
- Argue and prove inaccurate evidence
Prosecutors and judges are human beings. Although they are required to uphold the law and work to keep other drivers safe, they also understand that kids make mistakes. By tailoring your case to the judge’s and prosecutor’s views of previous DUI cases, your attorney can work to get your child’s charges reduced or dismissed. Your lawyer can also move to have the case expunged from your child’s record.
You will always work directly with your attorney throughout your case.
Contact Our Okemos DUI Lawyers Now – (517) 316-1195
At White Law, PLLC, we understand that seeing your child behind bars is a difficult thing. That is why our DUI attorneys analyze all the evidence of your child’s arrest and build an appropriate strategy to defend them. We have a record of success and have the knowledge to represent your child. Don’t wait – contact our firm now to discuss your child’s DUI case.
Don’t allow a mistake to jeopardize your child’s future. Contact our Okemos DUI attorneys now to begin building a defense: (517) 316-1195.
We’re Experienced. We Care.
We Exceed Client Expectations.
