For those that have never received a DWI. Let this be a warning to you.

[eXistenceLies]

Posted on one of my car forums:

I have been thinking of sharing this for awhile, but was too embarrassed to do it. I decided today was the day because all my conditions of my sentence were completed as of 10:00am CST and I am reflecting how this HORRIBLE mistake affected my life for the past 13 months.


December 2012 I decided to go have a few beers at a local bar to celebrate a good day at work. I began my drinking at 6:00ish and went way past a few beers and finally left a little after 10:00. I was obviously drunk and was offered a ride from a friend I was talking to and also by the bartender who told me I had had one too many. I ignored both of these offers and snuck out the side door and got behind the wheel. What I wasn't aware of was that someone else in the restaurant that night saw how drunk I was and decided to follow me out and notified the police. They followed me all the way home and brought the police straight to me.


I made it home safely. I thank God and luck every day that I didn't harm anyone or anyone's property on my blind ride home.


As I was getting out of my car and closing my garage door Three police cars zoomed into my driveway with lights and sirens on and the most humiliating year of my life began.


ALL of my neighbors came out to see what was happening. I attempted a field sobriety test. Failed it miserably. Refused a breathalyzer test (mistake). Was put in handcuffs and taken to jail. Place in the drunk tank and left there until........


Woken up at 2:30 am put back in handcuffs and brought to a hospital to have blood drawn. I remember very little about any of this. I am still incredibly drunk almost 5 hours after my last drink.


The next morning at 7:00am I was allowed to make a phone call, but was denied access to my wireless phone so I called the ONE number I knew by heart.....My Mother. I am 46 years old and called my mother to bail me out of jail.


My license was confiscated when I was booked and I was given a piece of paper that allowed me to drive for 45 days or until my 6 month license suspension began.


I immediately began searching for lawyers online. I have no friends or acquaintances with any experience with DWI's so I had to just choose one by random. Even if I had known someone with experience I would most likely not have called them out of shear humiliation anyway. This feeling of shame still remains strong even 13 months later.


Met with lawyer. Handed over a big check. There is no reason to pretend I was not guilty. I told the lawyer I want to get this over ASAP. At this point I start to learn that there is no rushing the legal system. I don't get my BAC report for 60 days. It was .16. Then I go to court once a month until May when the judge is finally ready to hear me say GUILTY and she passes my sentence. $1,900.00 fine, 12 months probation, 12 months with an interlock device in my car and 6 months suspended license.


Begin probation and have the interlock device installed in late May. Probation officer explains that if I am PERFECT on probation and PERFECT concerning my interlock readings I can have these two conditions removed by the end of the year. I do as I'm told and this morning the interlock device was removed and my probation meetings are no longer required.


While I am happy to have this mistake behind me I am still surprised that I ever let myself get into it in the first place. I have had to adjust my life completely for the past 7 months. The shame follows me everywhere. Dating a new woman was out of the question while having a breathalyzer in my car. Parking way out in every parking lot to try and not be seen by any people while I blew into my f-ing car to start it. Explaining my situation over and over again to people in my life. Having my wonderful niece see me try and start my car when she came over to visit.


I understand there is very little chance that this story will stop anyone else from making the same mistake, but on the off chance that it will I am sharing it here.

Final costs:
Bail 750.00
lawyer 5,000.00
Court Fines 1,900.00
Temp License 450.00
DWI Classes 200.00
DL Surcharge 3,000.00
Probation 450.00
Interlock 675.00

Total 12,425.00

I do not know who the concerned citizen was. I could have found out through the court documents, but I feel they did what most people would/should have done. I wasn't tipsy. I didn't enjoy a beer with friends. I was DRUNK. I had been offered a ride twice. I earned this pain.

******Cliffs******

Got drunk. Received DWI. Found guilty. Paid fines. Completed conditions of Probation. Have felt like a complete failure since that night. Hope someone reads this and can learn from my mistakes.

Im shocked at what he spent. I will admit when I was 20 I got a DWI. I spent a total of $2500. $1500 of that went to my lawyer. The rest were fines, probation (1 year), 24 hours community service and class fees. Seems he got it the worst. To make it even worse. I was also arrested in my driveway. They found a bottle in my car and I refused breathalyzer but did the field sobriety thinking I could pass it cause my driveway was not even at all.

Basically wanted to warn you guys and that you never know if someone follows you out of the bar to follow you home (Which I find fuked up).

[Boffothe]

Drunk driving is inexcusable, but this guy must have phucked the judge's wife or something.

[mcbizkit02]

I can confirm. I'm a PO.

[Muneyy]

Not listed, the skyrocketing insurance rates afterwards (at least here in Ontario). Also, the interlock system is more expensive up here too, I don't know the figure, but I'd say double. One of my brothers friends has 2 on his record and was paying $600/mth to insure his 95 F150 plus a couple hundred more a month for his interlock system.

Living out in the middle of the country like I do, it's so easy to drive while buzzed and 99% of the time you'll get away with it (some guy I know is a full blown alcoholic and i've known him for 10 years or so and i've never seen him in his truck without a beer in his hand and has never gotten a DUI. Dumb prick has crashed his truck in the ditch many times but still hasn't got caught), but it's not worth it at all.

[hammerfelt]

What did the lawyer even do for him?

[p7nk]

that is going to do absolutely nothing for anyone. it comes down to the person and 8 times out of 10, if you're a heavy drinker, you been arrested as a result of it.

[Cionysus]

that is going to do absolutely nothing for anyone. it comes down to the person and 8 times out of 10, if you're a heavy drinker, you been arrested as a result of it.

tbh im a heavy drinker and I will think again before getting behind the wheel (when the time comes)

[IsthisreaLife]

What a retard, who spends 5k on a lawyer for a dwi. Bet the lawyer did nothing too

[RockyIV]

Damn dude. New goal of 2014 no booze.

Anyone that drinks runs the risk of popping positive for a DUI. It can happen. It's happened to family member of mine. Granted he has had 2 withing a year. He ended up in rehab and had his license suspended for a year. No hardship license completely suspended. It can happen to anyone and where I work you have to inform your supervisor of any arrest and think of the embarrassment of saying you got a DUI and have to go to court.

In on clean and sober 2014

[629]

Drunk driving is inexcusable, but this guy must have phucked the judge's wife or something.

I'm thinking him having a BAC of twice the legal limit hurt him a good bit

[RussianDancer]

Stay safe

[SteamedHams]

The only part I have a hard time believing is the length of time between arrest and blood draw. Even if they needed to get a warrant that would take 20 min at most.

[Preban_AR15]

Served on a DUI jury recently and that chit scares the hell out of me.

[dixie_normus]

Im not a fan of the new law here. 0.05 and youre considered drunk driving.
brb 1 beer at family gathering and have to call a cab

[Misctake7]

I don't understand why the guy is so embarrassed. Tbh, lots of people have gotten DWIs. Not saying it's a good thing, but it's pretty sad feeling like you need to go around telling people the story or not dating as a result of it. Parks far away so nobody sees him blowing into the breathalyzer? Wtf?

[hundieMachine]

Did the cops actually witness him driving drunk, or did they show up after the fact? If they showed up after the fact he could've just lied and said he wasn't driving and the witness doesn't know what he's talking about. Still a moron who turned down a ride home when drunk so he got what he deserved.

[Muneyy]

Served on a DUI jury recently and that chit scares the hell out of me.

DUI Jury? never heard of that. It seems like a waste of time for the jury. To me, you were either drunk or not.

[BangBrahs]

Why in the f*ck would you hire a lawyer for a DUI lol? I didn't have a lawyer for mine and paid around $3,000 tops for everything.

[eXistenceLies]

I don't understand why the guy is so embarrassed. Tbh, lots of people have gotten DWIs. Not saying it's a good thing, but it's pretty sad feeling like you need to go around telling people the story or not dating as a result of it. Parks far away so nobody sees him blowing into the breathalyzer? Wtf?

He's an older gentlemen and the forum (corvette forum) is full of a lot of older men. He may have thought they would ridicule him.

[BangBrahs]

OP just curious? Why did you feel the need to have a lawyer? Do you feel like they help at all? What was the final result?

[eXistenceLies]

Did the cops actually witness him driving drunk, or did they show up after the fact? If they showed up after the fact he could've just lied and said he wasn't driving and the witness doesn't know what he's talking about. Still a moron who turned down a ride home when drunk so he got what he deserved.

Nope. No cop followed him home or saw him driving. Some person from the bar did. Im sure he was shocked and didn't know what to do as he's prob never been in trouble with the law before. I would have closed the garage and not answer the door period.

Why in the f*ck would you hire a lawyer for a DUI lol? I didn't have a lawyer for mine and paid around $3,000 tops for everything.

DWI is a worse than a DUI.

[Muneyy]

DWI is a worse than a DUI.

I though they were the same thing, just people call it something different depending on where they're from.

Im not a fan of the new law here. 0.05 and youre considered drunk driving.
brb 1 beer at family gathering and have to call a cab

You in Ontario? If not,then it's the same here. .05-.08 is the 'warn range' and you get your license suspended for 3 days. I think it's dumb, either drop the limit to .05 or dont have the warn range.

[GodMadeDirt]

What did the lawyer even do for him?

This. a PD is gonna "get it over with asap" and for free.

[Lucky_ROA]

I got a dwi this year and I'm thankful to God almighty that I live in New York State where the court can drop the DWI Criminal Charge to a DWAI Traffic Infraction if you take drunk driving classes

**** yeah NEW YORK !!!

Never in my life will I ever drunk drive again ! I was too close to a DWI and saw how it can ruin your life

[BangBrahs]

Nope. No cop followed him home or saw him driving. Some person from the bar did. Im sure he was shocked and didn't know what to do as he's prob never been in trouble with the law before. I would have closed the garage and not answer the door period.



DWI is a worse than a DUI.

That made you need a lawyer OP? I didn't have one for mine and I pleaded not guilty and they lowered it to just impaired driving. u mad?

I

[Preban_AR15]

DUI Jury? never heard of that. It seems like a waste of time for the jury. To me, you were either drunk or not.

He refused the breathalyzer and we had to determine guilt on sobriety test and on what he admitted drinking. To be honest I don't know what the lawyer did for him. All he really did was ask the cop questions about his certifications.

Unless the cop was going to come out and say I lied or I'm not a certified peace officer, not sure what good he would do.

[hockeybpr25]

While that guy is an absolute idiot, I can't believe someone followed him home and called the cops. Like what a *******. I also was completely unaware that cops could come up your driveway while you're closing the garage and make you do schit. I would have just let it close then found somewhere to hide in my house in case they came in looking for me. Pretty sure if they went into the house before getting a warrant then anything would have been thrown away but I have no idea.

[BangBrahs]

Nope. No cop followed him home or saw him driving. Some person from the bar did. Im sure he was shocked and didn't know what to do as he's prob never been in trouble with the law before. I would have closed the garage and not answer the door period.



DWI is a worse than a DUI.

BTW DWI and DUI are the same thing I believe. Here in Michigan I don't even think they use the term DUI anymore, just DWI.

[coynemoney]

Why did he say refusing breathalyzer was a mistake? I always heard even if you're stone cold sober you should refuse it? I know basically nothing about laws and I've never been pulled over just curious.

[eXistenceLies]

OP just curious? Why did you feel the need to have a lawyer? Do you feel like they help at all? What was the final result?

I hired a lawyer to stay out of jail. I had a previous DUI charge with an at fault accident when I was 17 so that came into play. Something I did not mention. Plus he was my lawyer before with the DUI charge. Was my lawyer through my teens tbh. I also got a criminal mischief charge from my ex gf's parents. I caught her cheating one time outside a person house I knew. I seriously just let the air out of her tires and put electrical tape on the back of her car saying "I have aids and i'm a dumb cheating whore." Her parents called the police and said I slashed all her tires so they bought new ones. I was dumbfounded at that. I was 16 at the time.