A Helpful Guide On What To Do After A Released From A DUI Arrest In Houston
Once you are released from jail after a DUI, the first thing you will notice is that you no longer have your driver’s license. When you were arrested, your license is taken from you and you will be provided with a temporary license which is pink. The temporary license and the information it has on it will be vital in the future.
The problem is that most people are in shock after the arrest and will put this paper away without looking too closely at them. They assume they are only required when they go to court. However, this license does tell you that you have to contact the DMV within 10 days of your release. Failure to do this will result in the automatic loss of your license. If your DUI was a first offense, you will lose your licenses for 4 months.
Upon your release, you will be issued with a notice to appear in court. This notice tells you which court you need to appear in and the date of your court appearance. Most people will pay attention to the date on this notice and not the temporary license and 10-day requirement. This is a serious mistake and you need to take the time to check all the documents you are given.
As soon as you have been released, you need to sit down and reconstruct the facts of the arrest. You should have a dialog with yourself from the start of the evening to the moment you were released. This needs to be done to ensure your memories do not fade which will happen if you do not want to remember what has happened.
These memories are also important for your attorney who needs to know how each hour from your first drink to your release was spent. There are often things that you might think irrelevant about this time that your attorney can use as part of your defense.
The Common Mistakes People Make In The Days After A DUI Arrest
The biggest mistake that people make after an arrest is to put it out of their minds. A lot of people want to deny that this happened and hope that if they ignore it, it will go away. This is something that you have to avoid and you should address your defense as soon as you are released from jail.
Starting your defense is important, but you should not forget about contacting the DMV. This will help you protect your license.
There are also some things you can do immediately after your release that you cannot do later. This will include returning to the bar where you had drinks to get the names of potential witnesses. You can also see if the bartender remembers serving you and what you had. This information is less likely to exist later on but will help you with your defense. Taking the time to gather this evidence in the early days after your release will help you take advantage of the potential boost it offers your defense.
Is Your Physical License Confiscated At This Point?
At the time of your arrest, your physical license will be taken from you. This will not be returned to you unless you ask for a hearing and you are successful at this hearing. If you are successful, your license will be returned to you without any issues. However, if you are unsuccessful, you will not be able to get your license until after your case has been heard in court or you have done an alcohol program. You will also need to meet any other requirements that the DMV has.
Does The Temporary License Permit The Driving Of A Vehicle?
The temporary license is for a 30-day period and you can drive with it. The 30 days start from the time the license is issued. If you do not ask for a hearing, at the end of this time, your license will no longer be valid. If you have asked for a hearing, you will want to request a stay on the suspension so that you can continue driving after the 30 days has ended.
How Do You Request A DMV Hearing?
A DMV hearing can be requested by you or by your attorney. It is generally advised that you allow your attorney to set this up for you as well as any other hearings. This is due to there being many hearing officers and not all of them will be as reasonable as you want. Your attorney will have a better insight into who is more unreasonable and will try to set up a hearing with the more reasonable officers. This will increase the chances of them being willing to hear the evidence you have.
Should You Hire A DWI Lawyer To Handle Your Case?
If you have a DWI, you will feel stressed and not know what you should do next. This is one of the reasons why you should hire a DWI lawyer. They will be able to alleviate some of the stress you feel and tell you what the next steps are.
When looking for a lawyer, you should hire someone who has years of experience and specializes in this type of offense. You should also find out more about their caseloads and how they have handled their cases in the past. A DUI arrest can cause a lot of problems for you and your family from loss of jobs to financial hardships. Hiring a good lawyer will reduce the chances of this happening to you and your family.
Never give up the fight to clear your name. Contact or call us with any questions or to set up a legal meeting today!