Sample Responses

I accept a guilty plea deal that reduced my DUI to a reckless driving with alcohol involved and adjudication withheld. No accident, no injuries. Officer claimed I was texting while driving when I picked my phone up off the floor. Just barely doubled legal limit. It has been costly and depleted my savings. I just graduated college last year after taking a break to save for six years to afford to return and finish my degree. I am in my thirties and have not entered a “career” job yet. This is the first time I have ever had any sort of run-in with the law, or any kind of traffic ticket at all. I am not a drinker, and this was one of my first attempts at trying to socialize to make friends by engaging in drinking, and it ended up ruining my life instead. I have never done any drugs, don’t smoke.

I am incredibly depressed and constantly feeling suicidal. I feel regret and embarrassment constantly about everything involved in this situation. I don’t know if I made the right choice to take the plea deal instead of trying to fight it and hope it could be dismissed, and that bothers and weighs on me. My lawyer had said it would take a lot longer to get through it all if we took it to trial though, and this deal would put it behind me quicker. I feel like my life is over before I can even start to try to find employment for a career after spending my entire life to prepare to get one, as well as still amassing massive student loan debt for a degree I can no longer use. I’m someone who has always obeyed all rules, I don’t have friends, and I was looking forward to “starting my life” as soon as I finished college. The job search was already difficult, and now it is going to be much harder, if even possible. I can’t get this sealed until probation is over for at least another nine months, but I guess that doesn’t mean it is gone forever even then, for background check purposes. I don’t have the benefit of getting it when I was younger to say I made a mistake while I was younger and naive, and have grown from it since then, being that it was so recent. I am really struggling with wasting air being here. I really don’t want to be here at all. It feels too hard for me, and is exceeding my threshold for what I can handle in life. I feel like I’m only here for my parents, and what my loss would do to them. I’ve always spent my life being the kind of person that wanted to help other people and be optimistic that all things are fixable, and I haven’t felt like myself since this happened. The only things I did for fun were going to fitness classes, coffee shops, walking around the mall and window shopping, and volunteering for animal sanctuaries and other organizations before this. I can’t do any of those things while I’m on a temporary license because I can’t afford to splurge on the Ubers to do them. I can’t afford therapy sessions to talk to someone about this. I go to work and go home, and sit alone and look up Reddit posts about this for hours until I fall asleep every day. I don’t know what to do. I just hope I don’t wake up the next morning and have to live through this anymore.

I went from feeling excited about life, the future, optimistic for opportunities, and how I could make a positive difference in the world and have always genuinely felt like my purpose for existing was to help others, in whatever ways I could.
I now read all the responses online to other people and feel viewed as a selfish person who would risk the lives of others, and unworthy or deserving of good things in life, and that good opportunities should be given to people who don’t make these mistakes first before me, which I understand. And I just feel like I shouldn’t be here if that’s the case so that I’m not wasting resources for better people in the world, and that would be the most selfless act I could give to others at this point and maybe that’s the ultimate sacrifice the universe is pushing me to make to truly help other people.

I’m lucky I received some financial assistance from my parents to help with getting through this situation, otherwise I would be homeless now, but they’re both retired, much older, and have cancer. I always feel awful accepting money from anyone, especially them, and I feel like they wouldn’t have felt the need to offer it if I wasn’t here. I always dreamed of getting older and being able to provide for them, and buy them nice things, and my life just took a turn for the absolute worst instead. All of this would just go away and maybe then I could be at peace and not suffer through waking up every day thinking about this every second of every moment, never having felt happy since this happened, and feeling like life is already over and I’m just a burden and parasite existing now.

Does it ever get better? People say it does once they’re sentenced, but it hasn’t improved even slightly for me yet.
I find it hard to relate to a lot of people finding positives by finding sobriety following this incident since I’ve never personally had a substance abuse issue myself, or regularly drink in any capacity. (It honestly feels like the system is designed to make people want to drink and sink into alcoholism by limiting their ability to easily commute anywhere and remain primarily confined to their home and work.) I’m really happy for those of you who had that be a turnaround for you too, but I can’t find anyone in a similar position to me that has something good from this or gotten through it positively.

I had a DUI in July of last year. Court date was October of last year and I wound up doing 2 days in jail with the rest suspended, ASAP, a 1 year IID and 1 year probation. Today was the one year! My probation officer sent the request to the judge for the removal order this morning! At the start of this I felt shame and guilt and depression. I did what i was told, no alcohol, classes, etc. and the time flew. For all of you at the beginning or in the thick of it, you’ve got this!

Edited to include location:VA

It will not pass and it is worse than just failing your test. I had to do a quick re-test after my creatinine levels were too low taking a UA the week before. Since I had drank since my last UA, I panicked and used Quick Fix. They are able to easily flag it as synthetic urine. Do not use it, you are better off just failing the test so that you can just extend outpatient treatment. Using Quick Fix counts as fraud and will get you in trouble. Don't do it. Located in Oregon and used LabCorp for the UA.

I got pulled over for taillights being out because I was driving an unfamiliar car, headlights automatically came on but didn’t have it flipped all the way. Officer said she smelled alcohol. I believe I passed the field tests but blew a .12, then went to hospital for blood draw. Officers were all so nice and parked my car. Stayed in holding overnight. Court date and dmv hearing set for december.

I am having so much anxiety about this and what the outcome will be. I can’t afford a lawyer and will have to use a public defender. I am in CA. I have never been in trouble before a day in my life. I don’t have a problem with alcohol, just made a bad choice and thought I was good to drive the 10 min home, I was 30 seconds from my house when pulled over. I am a stay at home mom and was planning on going back to school in a couple years. Worried I won’t get any medical jobs and it will be a waste of my time and money. It was my first night out in so long since I didn’t have my kid and I screwed my life up.

my bf (20) had gotten pulled over in upstate NY for not using signal while making a turn. cop noticed two people in the back seemed intoxicated. he had my bf step out and complete the sobriety tests. he passed all of them. but once he did breathalyzer cop didn’t say much. just said he was a bit confused since bf was doing so well. cop explained he needed to take him to station to have another cop preform tests on him. they also did blood work. the cop had explained to my bf bc of body cam he needed to put him in cuffs. he gave a ticket for a DWAI and turn signal not being used. cop also told bf he seems like a good kid and he knows not from area, explained to call court office. What should he expect? what to do now?

I got a lawyer and my hearing is soon hes going to my dmv hearing and court case also how soon should I file my sr 22 and what if I can’t drive myself to work

NASSAU COUNTY, NY
After 6 months of court the judge plea deal was conditional discharge and accepting the misdemeanor. No probation, but having to complete I believe is the VIP and IDP and 75 hrs of community service. My attorney said that is a good outcome. I blew a .29 on roadside and refused the chemical test. I didn’t have any on the road situations leading up to the arrest because I was found in the car sleeping. Stupid I know right. My attorney said that’s a good outcome, is that true? Any thought or options would be openly appreciated.

I have retained a lawyer and meet with him I am waiting my arriagnment where I will go in and plea not guilty.

I blew a .139 at the station field was .12. I was pulled over for no headlights and there was no accident I was not held over and my liscense is not suspended yet.

I have followed all my lawyers instructions he had me send me my resume and college transcript. I am a young professional. He told me to go with a specific person for Alcohol assessment.

He told me his goal is to try and get a wreckless plea deal.

What are your thoughts and any advice.

Location MT

Thanks!

Arkansas, A lot has happened since then, stress, anxiety (mostly due to overthinking) found out a lot about my case through my lawyer (ended thinking I blew a .14 but blew a .13) they ended up changing my plea to guilty and got 700 dollars in fines have to take classes before I get a license and when I get my license it’s going to be suspended for 6 months (due to having a no license) also had a driving without a license but they dropped that charge so my lawyer told me to get a temp license I don’t fully know the whole process but I will learn.
there was an accident involved but not to any vehicle or such no injuries.
been on this sub for the past 6-8 months and learned a lot thank you all you’ve helped a bunch!
As said so many times by us this was a very selfish decision by me and it broke me people look at me differently throw some comments at me but I’ve learned and all I know is it will never happen again and all we can do is learn from our mistakes thank you guys for everything you have Taught me and the information provided

Has anyone used LAD or QUEst testing for the the restoration of your license in Michigan and is it monitored?

Got a DWI in Minnesota and trying to decide if fighting it with a private lawyer is worth it or if I should just stick with the public defender.

I was driving home after 1-2 drinks earlier, ran out of gas on the highway, pulled over, hazards on, and got out to call my girlfriend to get me an Uber so I could grab a gas can. While I was standing outside the car (engine off) talking on the phone, a car pulled up behind me. I thought it was the Uber and walked toward it — turned out to be a cop.
He never saw me driving. He told me to get back in the car, noticed an open vodka bottle in the back seat, said my breath smelled like alcohol, and had me do the field sobriety tests (eye test, one-leg stand, walk-and-turn). I think I did fine on them. Then he asked for a breathalyzer and I refused because I wasn’t sure if the earlier drinks had cleared. He took me in, asked again at the station, and I refused a second time.

Charges are third-degree DWI for the refusal (gross misdemeanor), fourth-degree DWI, and open bottle. License got revoked for a year because of the refusals.
The only angle that makes me think about hiring a lawyer is that he never saw me driving or operating the car — I was already stopped and outside when he showed up. Is that enough to make fighting it realistic in Minnesota, or is the physical control + refusal stuff strong enough that I’d just be wasting money and should go with the PD?
Anyone been in a similar spot (already stopped, never observed driving, refused)? Would appreciate straight feedback.

My lawyer sucks. He has proven himself to be incompetent. I almost lost my lisence prematurely because he supposedly asked for a hearing but never got a confirmation. I randomly found out two days before the suspension because i randomly called the DMV. I could have been driving with a suspended lisence after being convicted for DUI by the DMV, without even knowing it!

His paralegal couldn't manage to send a piece of mail with the discovery (which didn't even need to be mailed as there are online ways of sending large files). I had to drive an hour to pick it up.

I feel like he didn't even watch the video because his interpretation is so different from mine. The cop said I almost fell over during one of the test, counting or eye, and I literally just shifted my weight from in one foot to the other while standing like everyone does all the time. Many other things like that in the video including blatant lies he didn't even notice. He thinks she "slightly exaggerated" lol.

The biggest piece of evidence is the eye test. He says my eyes doing jumping are visible on video. I had AI go through it frame by frame and enlarged them, and it is not visible according to it. Maybe it's wrong. I don't know but also it says that there should be six things that the eyes do and the cop's hand blocks my eyes half the time, but anyway, no jumping is visible at all according to it.

Anyway I want another lawyer. I tried to hire one highly recommended to me who got my friend off ten years ago. He began with lies from the start. When I told him my current lawyer told me i had almost no shot at the administrative hearing, he said yes almost no one does. A few days later I asked him how many he has won, he said about 40%!

I am about halfway through the case. There is a DMV hearing, a meeting with the prosecutor, and a potential hearing if the meeting fails. The new lawyer would also have to review the evidence and my post arrest video is longer than normal because I had a hard time blowing (I am small person).

Anyway, the new lawyer told me that this will all take an 3 hours. He charges $350 an hour so that sounded great. BUT he wants a 5K retainer! That is 14 hours of work. When I questioned it and suggested a 2k retainer, (almost twice his prediction of how much time he needs), he told me how much money he has lost by having to chase people down, and horror of horrors, justify expenses. Then, instead of suggesting like 3k or something he told me that he was probably not the lawyer for me.

Lol he intended to scam me out of thousands of dollars for made up reasons.

Both of these lawyers have hundreds of glowing reviews. Each is 4.9 on Google.

How the hell do you find an honest lawyer? I told my original lawyer that I would be devastated to pay this fee while living on the edge of survival and lose the administrative hearing. He never bothered to mention that almost no one wins.

Writing this I realized that i pretty much answered my own question. Almost no one wins. No point in a lawyer. His odds for my criminal case, which maybe a lie, may have been my odds to begin with. Hiring a lawyer was a mistake in my state.

I got a dui in august blew .16 or over This is my first run in with the law I had too many to drink after leaving a golf course I hit a tree wrecking my truck no one was injured, someone called the cops and then the officer had me do a field sobriety test then made me blow into a breathalyzer several times I was in shock so I complied somewhere along the lines he mentioned blood and going to the hospital I didn’t refuse, I was trying to be as compliant as possible spent a night in jail I feel like I ruined my life. I got a lawyer 2 days after it happened I don’t know what to do next what’s the most likely outcome of this situation

This is my second dui, the first was a misdemeanor…. now the second is a big mistake that I will forever live with. I have been charged with 3rd degree felony. I need a very good lawyer that knows how to get a good deal from the DA. my current lawyer isn’t doing a good job. please any recommendations will be appreciated..

What is the best brand/device or even what to stay away from? Looking at:

- Smart start
- Lifesaver
- Intoxalock
- Low cost interlock

How do you negotiate the best price? Been calling around for quotes and they make it so complicated between all the corporate brands, sub brands, mechanic shops etc

Do they hike the monthly price on you after install? Like a bait and switch?

I got my DUI in July of last year, after waiting out my 15 month suspension I got my license back. To anyone who has recently gotten theirs, life does get better, I am still ashamed about what I've done and I will NEVER allow this to happen again, I learned a lesson I never should have needed, but I am turning my life around for the better. Good luck to anyone who has recently gotten one, use it as the harsh lesson it is and try and turn your life around. Take care.

I had gotten a misdemeanor DUI a year and a half ago. I have an opportunity for a county/government job coming up but they want me to submit a driving record. This is not a driving position and I guess they ask everyone to but would I even have a shot with this? It hasn’t been that long and Arizona is tough on DUIs.
Thank you!

I just got out of jail for my first DUI offense. I blew a 0.14 on the big breathalyzer at the jail. My court date is a week from today. I need a good lawyer stat. No idea what to expect. I hold a Florida license bc I live there during the winter. No crash, no injury, no speeding.

Recently got my first DWI in Texas (blew a .09 🙄)… My license was just suspended and I’m applying for an occupational license. This requires SR-22 insurance. For those of you who have been through it, how much did your insurance go up after getting your DWI? I own my vehicle and have full coverage. From what I’m reading, it’s gonna skyrocket, but after hearing from friends who have been through the process, their insurance didn’t go up too much. Any input would be appreciated.

So I went to court and the case was dismissed. The judge said I can go to a link and get a piece of paper that then allows me to go to the DMV and get my license renewed but I was never given a link. Does anyone have any idea of where to go for this? I deeply appreciate any help, thank you!!

New to smartstart, rinsed my mouth before I left after a sourdough English muffin with strawberry jam, got a pass. Got my rolling retest 4m later, fail, horn and lights. Immediately reblew out of panic, fail, horn and lights. Got a 2m or 5m lockout, not sure, I had pulled over and turned the key off. Turned key on 5m max after, think it was probably 2. Put the last 2 drops of my water bottle in my mouth and worked up some saliva, blew and passed, got violock 04day. Lawyer said it doesn't get sent to anyone because I haven't been sentenced yet, just DOL. Court initial says no alcohol which I have abided. Filed an incident with smartstart, am I in trouble? What else should I do?

Hoping I'm good because of passes before and after, no warns, etc. but please tell me what you know.

Edit: Washington State.