DUIs suck, these 10 tips will help.
If you’ve gotten a DUI, you know it’s a painful experience. The DUI process can be embarrassing, scary, confusing, frustrating and financially costly. But no matter how awful it feels to have a DUI on your record, it doesn’t have to define you. Everyone makes mistakes, it’s how you move forward that counts.
No one wants to go through the DUI experience, but it doesn't have to derail your life or ruin your self worth.
We believe everyone deserves to move forward from a DUI with confidence and dignity. That’s why we’re here to help you make the DUI process as painless as possible. We know you can get through it successfully!
Our goal is to help each of our DUI clients find a silver lining to this whole thing as well: the chance for personal growth and connection.
While court and DMV requirements can feel like an overwhelming burden, some requirements can also be a blessing in disguise. For example, many of our DUI clients have shared that their required education and therapy classes were actually a great opportunity to connect with others, get meaningful support and find space to grow as a person.
Takeaway
This experience doesn’t have to be all bad. When you know what to do and how to get it done, you can focus more energy on finding the positive.
“DUI Education is very helpful. Just to have the community of talking to others in a similar situation is progress in the right direction.”
-DUI program participant
Top 10 tips for getting through your DUI successfully
I recently got together with Jonathan, our DUI Program Coordinator, and Kristin, our Pretrial Program Coordinator, to compile a “10 Tips” guide for helping people navigate the DUI process. This guide includes their top 10 tips for getting through a DUI successfully.
Don't procrastinate.
When a judge orders something in the court, there is usually a specific timeline involved. If you wait until the last minute, chances are you’ll be in jeopardy of having a complaint filed with the court and/or a warrant issued. "You may delay, but time will not."--Benjamin Franklin
Resist playing the "blame game."
Even though you are innocent until proven guilty, you have been charged with a DUI. Nobody forced you to get behind the wheel and drive. The court system does not take this lightly, nor should you. Take the opportunity to reflect upon why this happened, how to move forward and what you’ll do differently in the future.
Get a head start.
The court especially likes to see individuals take responsibility for their actions and get a head start on some of the requirements that will likely be ordered by the court. Attend a MADD victim impact panel. Look into starting DUI education classes before your case goes to sentencing. If there are victims involved from an accident, consider writing a heartfelt apology letter. All these things can go a long way in the judge's and district attorney's eyes as they make their decisions for what they’ll offer at sentencing.
Cooperate with random drug & alcohol monitoring.
If you're ordered by the judge to participate in pretrial services prior to sentencing, you’ll likely be subject to random drug testing 4 or 5 times per month. It is important to submit every required drug test. If you miss your required tests and this becomes a pattern, your pretrial case manager and/or probation officer will need to issue a complaint with the court. The possible penalties for noncompliance can include having to pay a fine and/or jail time.
Show up for all court hearings!
Failure to appear for a scheduled court date will most definitely result in a warrant being issued for your arrest.
Attend DUI classes regularly and you’ll get done quickly.
For example, if you attend class every other week, your 12 required education classes would be done in 6 months. But if you attend every week in a row, they’ll be done in 3 months. Classes may seem daunting at first, but they’re actually a great opportunity to connect with your peers and get valuable advice on how to handle the DUI process from start to finish.
Request and read and reread your sentencing order.
It gives you important dates when you need to have items completed, and who you need to complete them with.
Practice self care during the process.
DUIs are stressful and frustrating. Getting your requirements done on time will relieve some of your stress, but in your free time, try to find healthy ways to support yourself and put your DUI behind you.
Communicate
with your lawyer, court, case manager, counselor, or whoever is on your side. The more you communicate, the easier it is to figure out what you have to do, and how to get it done.
Don’t waste energy fighting with the DMV.
Unfortunately, little good comes from arguing with the DMV. This is an inflexible entity, and arguing will only lead to much frustration on your part. Keep in mind that the DMV often has different requirements for DWAIs/DUIs than the courts do. Be clear on what your requirements are and follow DMV instructions carefully. Also, make sure to get your interlock installed properly and upload any required forms or documentation to their web portal as soon as you can.
A message from your DUI and Pretrial Coordinators
“We want you to know that there are people out there, including us, who are on your side and want you to succeed! Just because you were charged with a DUI does NOT make you a bad person. You made a bad decision, as we all do in various different ways. The choice is yours to decide how you will move forward from this and learn from your mistake so that you don't find yourself in the same circumstances in the future. We’re here to help, and there is always a way through this challenge!”
All our best,
Jonathan St. Peter, DUI Coordinator
Kristin Kail, Pretrial Coordinator
Want to get more support for navigating your DUI?
Schedule a call with our rockstar DUI Program team!
Jonathan St. Peter, DUI Coordinator: jonathanstpeter@recoveryresourcescolorado.org
Kristin Kail, Pretrial Coordinator: kristin@recoveryresourcescolorado.org
