What should I do if I was arrested for a DUI this weekend?
With a DUI, you have a couple of different guidelines potentially at play. You’ve got an alcohol guideline violation, criminal conduct, and if you don’t report it, you’re looking at a guideline E for personal conduct or self-reporting as well. If you avoid guideline E by doing a good, well written self-report, you’re going to put yourself in a better position to be able to maintain your clearance.
Seek some type of counseling and get an evaluation. There’s probably no better evidence than a professional saying that you consume alcohol with a responsible pattern of conduct, and that this was an isolated incident. There’s going to be concerns about whether you’re an alcoholic and whether you’re trustworthy or reliable. If you can show that you don’t have an alcohol abuse problem and you just made a poor decision, then you’re going to likely be able to mitigate that concern.
As for criminal conduct, some individuals are going to be getting a third or fourth DWI or DUI. That shows a pattern of criminal behavior and a pattern of not wanting to follow the rules. It’s going to be very difficult to mitigate those concerns, so stop drinking. If you get to a hearing, it’s really helpful to be able to say to the judge, you haven’t had a beer in four or five months. The judge knows you don’t have an alcohol problem. They know you’re remorseful, learning from your mistakes, and that you’re taking action to attempt to remedy those mistakes.
