How much can a DUI in Utah cost? (DWI)
How much can a DUI in Utah cost?
DUI’s Cost a lot. Even if you are not guilty and found not guilty, they cost a lot. The prosecutors and police officer’s know this. I had a prosecutor tell me that they would rather try the case and lose, than to dismiss a case against a man whose breath alcohol level was .06, which is below the legal limit to drive. Another prosecutor told me after he lost a DUI case, "well, at least he had to pay you." What a vindictive outlook. The costs are great. However, I truly believe that the costs can be minimized by hiring a lawyer. A lawyer may cost a lot in the short run, but can save a lot in the long run. That is if you have an attorney that is willing to put up the fight. Here’s an article about costs that I stumbled on recently.
Drunk driving could cost $20,000
By Craig Guillot •Twenty thousand dollars sounds like a lot to pay for a drink at a holiday party, but if that last cocktail puts you over the legal limit, that "one for the road" could easily cost you that or more.
And that’s only considering the potential financial cost of being ticketed for driving under the influence or driving while intoxicated, better known as DUI or DWI, never mind the staggering financial blow if you cause an accident — or the emotional devastation if your actions cause injuries or worse.
With the holidays upon us, early December through the new year is one of the worst times for drinking and driving. In fact, December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, or NHTSA, 17,602 people were killed in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes alone in 2006 and alcohol-related crashes cost about $51 billion every year. In 2005, a whopping 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence.
One drink too many puts you at risk for not only an arrest, but also for fees, fines and costs that can run you thousands of dollars. While a DUI or DWI may be a misdemeanor charge in a number of jurisdictions, it’s a matter that most judges and district attorneys take very seriously. The financial toll of a conviction will play out for years to come, and in many states that can add up to $20,000 before everything is over. This includes bail, fines, legal fees, increased auto insurance premiums, loss of work income, court-ordered alcohol education programs and more.
Of course, if you get fired from your job as a result of the arrest, that dollar figure would skyrocket.
Potential expenses from a DUI — first offenseYou don’t even have to get convicted to start running up expenses on a DUI charge. But if you’re found guilty, a first offense could mean that last drink cost you dearly. While the amounts vary by location and specific circumstances, here are some of the expenses you may realize:
• Fines. • Court costs.
• Attorney fees. • Bail.
• Loss of job. • DUI "school."
• Temporary loss of income. • Car towing, impounding.
• Alternate transportation costs. • Car ignition interlock device.
• Periodic blood testing. • Monthly monitoring fees.
• Cost of incarceration. • Increased auto insurance premiums.The financial impact of a DUI arrest on any one person can vary greatly depending on many factors, such as driving record, jurisdiction, blood-alcohol level, attorney fees and fines, not to mention the specific circumstances of the incident and whether there was an accident or if anyone was injured.
The Texas Department of Transportation says a June 2006 survey in that state showed the total costs of a DWI arrest and conviction — for a first time offender with no accident involved — would range from $9,000 to $24,000.
And while expenses can vary substantially by jurisdiction, in no city is a DUI charge cheap.
In 2000, when graduate student Kate S. was driving home from a party in Woodstock, Ga., she was involved in an accident. She was not found to be at fault for the mishap, but blood tests at the hospital later revealed she was over the legal alcohol limit and she was booked on a DUI charge. Some costs Kate had to pay included a $2,500 fine, approximately $3,000 in legal fees and insurance premiums that rose an additional $600 per year for the next five years.
"As part of my sentence, I had to go to what they call ‘DUI school,’ and one of the things we had to do was tally up how much
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Source: feeds.lexblog.com
The Utah Highway Patrol made their Quota in Making DUI Arrests
The Utah Highway Patrol had 22 officers out on the weekend and made 24 DUI arrests. They made and exceeded their quota. The DUI Blitz is the modern DUI check point. Check points are generally unconstitutional unless rigorous guidelines are followed. The police don’t do checkpoints very often anymore. I wonder why? Perhaps there is an easier way to make their quota. Here’s the story.
A Utah Highway Patrol drunken driving blitz netted 24 DUI arrests in Salt Lake County over the weekend. Twenty-two state troopers patrolled the roads in Salt Lake County from 9 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday, said UHP Sgt. Blaine Robbins. The blitz was to promote safety on the roads.
Here’s another story. They almost seem happy about the sad issue that people are still drinking and driving when there is all this publicity about DUI enforcement. Well, pat yourselves on the back for now. I mean the public will only here this number of arrests. They won’t hear about the innocent people you may have arrested.
24 impaired drivers arrested in 5 hours
Published: Monday, May 26, 2008 12:06 a.m. MDT
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A DUI enforcement blitz conducted Friday night by the Utah Highway Patrol netted 24 impaired drivers in a five-hour period.UHP Sgt. Blaine Robbins said Sunday that 22 state troopers were assigned to locations throughout Salt Lake County. He noted the number of arrests, which occurred between the hours of 9 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday, is exceptional for the size of the task force.
"That’s a very, very good enforcement day," Robbins said. "We’re always out enforcing, but on a big weekend like this, with the number of troopers involved … more than one arrest per trooper is outstanding."
Robbins said that dedicated UHP DUI enforcers are out on a regular basis and typically make two to three arrests per shift."Our DUI Squad that’s out every weekend … our ‘graveyard cars’ … do very well," Robbins said.
The high number of arrests occurred in spite of UHP publicity efforts last week that warned weekend holiday travelers of heightened enforcement efforts by the department.
Finally, KSL ran their story. The story revolves around the arrests and an accident. The accident is presumed without more information that it involves a drunk driver. This of course will justify the cause. Perhaps this accident happened because the driver just made a poor decision and a driving mistake in trying to pass a diesel.
Troopers make 24 DUI arrests in one night
May 25th, 2008 @ 5:34pmTonya Papanikolas reporting
A man who may have been drinking died in a car crash. The news comes the morning after Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) troopers remove more than two dozen drunk drivers from the streets.
Sgt. Blaine Robbins, with the UHP, said, "We had our fair share of DUIs. I believe there were 24 DUIs apprehended, 22 troopers were out." And that was just Friday night alone, meaning the number could grow.
Despite their efforts to stop people from driving drunk, there was at least one fatality already this weekend. Yesterday morning, troopers say a Ford Escort tried to pass a semi truck on I-80 in Echo Canyon. The car hit a median, overcorrected and ended up beneath the wheels of a semi.
"The semi truck rolled over and ended up on top of that vehicle, killing the passenger in that vehicle," Sgt. Robbins said.
That accident is under investigation, but troopers say they believe the driver of the car may have been drinking. They say, no matter how many times they try to warn people of the dangers, it’s something they see time and again. "It seems to be a message that people still have a hard time with, is if you’re going to go out and have fun, which is great, we want you to be able to do that, but just drink responsibly and make sure you have a designated driver to get you home," Sgt. Robbins said.
Troopers will be out through Monday, looking for people who still choose to drink and drive. They’ll also be watching to see if you’re buckled up when they pull you over. If you’re not, it’ll cost you $45.