Understanding The Costs Of A San Diego DUI
The financial cost of a DUI conviction can cost as much as $24,000 or more after the dust settles. This often includes fines, bail, increased premiums for auto insurance, legal fees, loss of income from being fired, taking days off of work to attend court and alcohol education classes that will likely be ordered by the court. In fact, you don’t even need to be convicted in order to start racking up certain charges when facing a San Diego DUI. I, attorney Mark Deniz, will do all that can be done to assist you through this process. Even though a DUI offense is usually a misdemeanor, the fines are steep because the legislatures have taken a position that DUIs are serious.
Potential Average Costs Related To A DUI
- Fines and court costs – $2,100 plus
- Attorney fees – $2,500 to $10,000
- Bail – $2,500
- DUI Education School – $750 to $2,000
- Car towing and impounding – $100 to $1,200
- License reinstatement – $95 to $250
- Car ignition interlock device – $325 and up
- Increased premiums with auto insurance- $5,000 to $10,000 over the next 5 years
Additional Expenses
- Temporary loss of income (potential)
- Issues that come with license suspension
- Missing work to come to court
- Periodic blood tests (potential)
- Monthly monitoring fees (potential)
- Loss of Job (potential)
- Mandatory attendance in MADD program
The true financial impact on a single person is difficult to estimate as the costs can vary greatly depending on certain details such as jurisdiction, previous driving record, fines and circumstances specific to the actual incident. Additionally, you need to consider whether there was any additional damage to other cars, properties or any injuries. People who receive San Diego DUIs miss a great deal of work not only to attend court but also to perform community service aspects of their sentence, or even jail time. In California, your license will be suspended for a month just for the DUI arrest itself. If you get a DUI conviction, your license could potentially be suspended for as long as an entire year or more. If you are a stockbroker, airline pilot, nurse, lawyer or doctor, your professional license could also be revoked. Additionally, a San Diego DUI will be on your criminal record, visible to any potential employer that performs a background check on you. A DUI conviction will stay on your record for as long as 10 years and will for sure be used against you in future cases if you pick up another DUI within those 10 years.
Contact The Law Offices of Mark Deniz APLC today.