Driving under the influence is a serious offense in Hawaii, and you will have to deal with a criminal case, which certainly won’t be easy. The authorities in the state have the right to charge a driver in control of the car and a BAC level of .08% or more. Immediately after you are charged with DUI, you should start working on your defense. The truth is most drivers don’t understand the consequences of these charges and end up making mistakes, which often have severe consequences. If you are wondering whether you need a DUI attorney in Hawaii, we have a few pointers worth considering.
- DUI is a serious offense. Even if this is your first DUI conviction, the penalties can be severe, including jail time for up to five years and license revocation for up to a year. Habitual DUI charges are considered a class C felony in Hawaii. Unless you have an attorney on your side, you could be dealing with charges that you don’t understand.
- You could lose your driving privileges. As we mentioned, you could lose your license for one year, even for the first offense. Not to forget, if convicted, the DUI will appear on your records for five years, and if there is a second conviction, you may have to face more jail time and high penalties. Losing your driving privileges would obviously impact other aspects of your life.
- You may want to apply for an IID permit. For the unversed, IID is a device that’s installed on the vehicle of the person, and every time they step in and want to start the car, they will have to blow in the device. There is a monthly service fee to be paid, and if you want to continue driving, this might be necessary. An attorney can help with that.
- DUI convictions have other consequences. You cannot expect to live a normal life as before after a DUI conviction. That’s because it would appear in your background check, which may make it increasingly hard to find a job. You may also have a hard time finding a home and will have to pay higher insurance premiums.
Most DUI attorneys in the state assure private and confidential consultations for potential clients. Because defending the charges is your prime objective, you need to start working on your case ASAP, for which your attorney is highly relevant.
