Options?

[Sean-Wash]

What is the name of your state? Washington

The other night I was arrested for a DUI. I was administered the field sobriety test which I failed and was subsquently arrested and taken to the station where I was given a breathlizer test to which I blew a .20. I'm well aware that I have fully screwed up. I did not get into a car accident in fact at the time the car was not even in motion I was less than a 1000 feet from my house when I was arrested.
What I'm curious about is the kind of options I should persue I'm a college student who is just home for the summer and in less than a month I go back to college on the other side of the state. Should I take some pre-emptive actions and enroll myself into alcohol classes to show the court that I'm trying to correct my mistake. Being a college student the idea of hiring a lawyer that may or may not be worth the money makes me wonder. What I'm hopeing for is the minimum sentencing. Possibly even getting the charges reduced to something lesser I don't know...I'm sorry if my writings seem jumbled I'm just very shaky and scared about what my next move should be. The really sad part is I don't even own a car I was borrowing my parents truck that night I under estimated my ability on consuming alcohol and now I have to pay the price to which I fully deserve too.

[gadui]

Your first step should be to write a letter to the DMV to request a license suspension hearing. You have only 10 days from the date of your arrest to do this. If you don't request this hearing, your license will automatically be suspended on the 31st day after your arrest. The officer should have given you a form that will tells you this and has an address for where to send your letter.

Next, go ahead and talk to an attorney. Initial consultations are usually free, so why not see what they might have to say.

Don't count on getting the charges reduced. If this is your first lifetime dui, you may just get the minimum mandatory sentence. I don't know what those consequences are in Washington.

[Sean-Wash]

Thank you for your response. I am absolutley sick with getting my self into this kind of trouble. I've never even receieved a speeding ticket before let alone a car accident. Obviously what I'm hopefully shooting for is the minimum sentence possible. I can deal with that. What I'm concerned with is the fact that I'm a full time college student and free time is not something I have so getting community service would greatly impact my life.

[gadui]

If you have not started back to school, I would suggest getting some things done now while you are in Washington. Absolutely get that letter sent out to the DMV. Call a lawyer and get some REAL legal advice. Also, you could get an alcohol/drug assessment done by a clinical psychologist. It will likely be required upon sentencing and, in my case, cost me about $150. Community service will probably need to be done in the county in which you are arrested at a rate of 8 hours per week. I did mine at the local animal shelter.

[BigMistakeFl]

You can actually get started on community service hours prior to your first meeting with a PO. Make sure you choose something approved, which you should be able to research or even call the PO office and inquire about. Make sure the organization knows why you're there and tracks your hours. Next, research the minimum penalties and prepare for them. You have a right to defend yourself and seek the advice of a lawyer, but the sooner you get started on the penalties, the sooners you'll get through them.

[SillyPuddy]

I live next door to Washington (Oregon). Washington has a first time offenders' program called "deferred prosecution". You will have to go to alchohol class, and it's not cheap, and you'll be on probation which (I think) prohibits you from posessing and consuming any alchohol during your probation period. I don't recall what Washington's first time offender license suspension period is, but I think it's like 90 days. You can find that out during a free consultation with an attorney. If you enter the deferred prosecution program, don't blow it by getting another alchohol related offense of any type.

Good Luck. You'll be ok...IF...you complete your probation successfullly.