For many people residing in the United States on temporary visas or as permanent residents, getting a DUI can be scary, because finding information about how it will affect their potential for U.S. citizenship is difficult. While you may need to hire an attorney to help you with the specifics of your particular case, there is some basic information you should have if you been charged with a DUI regarding citizenship.

 Deportation

For most people living in the United States who are not naturalized citizens, their biggest fear after being charged with a DUI is the potential for deportation; however, a single first-time offense DUI that did not result in serious damages or bodily injury will generally not be grounds for deportation unless other serious crimes have been committed by the individual in the past.

Repeated DUI offenses may be grounds for deportation, especially if a person is convicted of a third drunk-driving offense, which is considered to be an act of violence and an aggravated felony if the offender is sentenced to one year or more of incarceration because of the offense.

In addition to multiple offenses, DUI charges accompanied by other charges, like kidnapping, car theft, robbery or aggravated assault, may be grounds for deportation, even if the crime is a first offense. This is because of the violent and reckless nature of the offense.

Becoming a Naturalized Citizen: Good Moral Character

People living in the United States on temporary visas or as permanent residents who are seeking naturalization as American citizens must be considered of good moral character during their naturalization interview. While it isn’t likely that a single DUI offense will result in a judgment that a person has poor moral character and therefore unable to be considered for naturalization, multiple offenses can be problematic.

Unfortunately, good moral character is difficult to define. If you’ve had trouble with DUI offenses in the past, even if you haven’t been sentenced to jail time, you may want to consult a lawyer about exemption and explanation forms you can include in your naturalization application.

Controlled Substances

The term “DUI” is typically used to denote offenses where a person was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, but in some cases, the term may be used if a person is in possession of controlled substances, or an alternate term (DUID) may be used.

While there are some differences among states, deportation may be a possibility for first time offenders who are caught driving under the influence of a controlled substance or under the influence of alcohol with a controlled substance in their possession. Deportation does not always occur, but it may be a possibility, especially if it’s a second or third offense.

Think Twice Before Driving

Driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance is a serious crime, and one that can cause problems in anybody’s life. These problems can be particularly severe for immigrants looking to remain in the United States.

Even if you are not deported or denied citizenship in the United States, your driving privileges may be revoked and you may be required to pay large fines or serve jail time. Avoid driving under the influence at all costs.

Guest Post Author:

Marcela De Vivo is a freelance writer in Southern California whose writing specializes in immigration and family law, citizenship and deportation. Working with Oltarsh & Associates, she educates families who are seeking U.S. citizenship and work visas so that they are well-informed of what they need to have prepared for their immigration lawyer.

Criminal records are an important factor for companies when they hire employees. However, employers are not supposed to let convictions color their opinion of a potential employee, points out the evil HR lady in a blog post. As everyone well knows, you want to put your best face forward when interviewing and applying for jobs, so every little thing counts – and a DUI will certainly not help your job prospects.

But this does not mean that you cannot successfully land a great, competitive job. You can – and depending on the job situation, your honesty, and your overall credentials, a DUI may end up being a non-issue. As Bloomberg Businessweek has pointed out, George W. Bush was arrested for drunk driving in 1976, and he got elected as president. DUI’s are more common than not.

The first step will be creating an impressive resume that speaks to all the reasons the company should hire you. Then when you have to list the DUI on an application, you have accumulated respect in their minds, and hopefully the DUI comes as a surprise and seems inconsistent with the way you are portraying yourself on paper and in preliminary interviews.

Jobs where a DUI is a concern

If you’re applying for a job in which you have to operate automobiles, a DUI will be important for a potential employer to investigate. If you have to drive for the business at some point, it could end up being a liability issue for them.

Jobs where you may work with children will also be potentially more challenging with a DUI on your record, as might a job where you have to handle confidential information, reports the Houston Chronicle. Some companies have stricter rules about hires due to the sensitive nature of work there or increased attention to safety at work.

Be honest

If asked in an interview about your record or any criminal charges, do not hide your DUI. Simply own up to it and explain. It is better to have it out in the open than to disclose the charge and risk your employer’s discovery of it later on, which could lessen their trust in you.

Often employers will be impressed if you simply own up to the mistake and communicate how much you regret it. Nobody expects to hire a perfect employee. They do want someone with integrity and honesty, though. If you are able to explain how you are actively avoiding this kind of incident again and reassure your employer (or potential employer) that this is not something you ever want to have happen again, it will show responsibility.

Then again, if you were not convicted, you do not legally have to disclose the information. But consider the situation and your own record. If you had many instances with DUI’s that did not end in conviction, it could be helpful to unveil this before your employer finds out somehow later on.

Background checks

If an interviewer does not ask about your record or misdemeanors during the interview process, they will likely see the DUI in your background check. Typically employers do background checks when you are already far along in the job search process. If you’ve impressed them up to the point when they see the DUI in the background check, chances are one DUI will not make or break your prospects.

If the employer asks about conducting a background check, it could be appropriate to quickly tell them that they will see a DUI, but that this does not reflect who you currently are. You shouldn’t linger on the topic for too long, because you want them to see the matter as you see it – important to reveal, but not important enough to disqualify you from getting this job.

Overall, focus on presenting yourself as a capable, qualified, responsible candidate for jobs. Do not attempt to hide your DUI, and be forthright when asked about it. In most cases, your future will still be very bright, and potential employers will be forgiving.

Citations:

• Bloomberg Businessweek. “One DUI Shouldn’t End a Career.” July 16, 2002.
• Houston Chronicle. “Can a DUI Prevent You From Getting a Job?”

Guest Post Author:

Brooke McDonald writes for Minneapolis DWI defense lawyer Carolyn Agin Schmidt. This article reflects Brooke’s views and may not reflect those of Ms. Schmidt. Contact your lawyer for legal advice.

Common Teen Issues

Being a teenager in and of itself is a confusing time in anyone’s life. As such, the growth process, along with hormonal and societal adjustments, can create unhealthy behavior patterns in teens. Sometimes an issue can be sorted out with better communication.

Any teen who has been charged with a DUI or other social crime, should definitely have access to a personal life coach. It is a good idea for the lawyer to pair up with a life coach and use them in these cases. There are coaches available all over the country, for example if you live in Missouri, you will have access to a life coach in St Louis to use.

However, despite parents’ best efforts, many troubled teens are not comfortable with taking advice about personal issues from their parents. Thus, their behavior can result in a form of rebellion that involves activities leading to arrests for DUI, theft and other anti-social behaviors. When left unchecked, the consequences of these behaviors can result in:

• Arrest records that teens carry with them throughout life
• Expulsion from school and the inability to attend college
• Major illnesses and injuries for the teen and others
• Financial burdens from which they never recover
• Loss of drivers’ licenses and other privileges
• The inability to get and keep employment
• Family discord

Remedies

In an effort to divert bad teen behavior patterns and enhance family dynamics, some parents logically turn to therapy as a coping mechanism. However, counselors and therapists can tend to focus upon the problems that reinforce what teens fear in order to attempt repair of deficiencies.

The challenge that therapists and counselors face is that teens often shut down when they concentrate so much on the negative, as it tends to make them feel worse about whatever situation they may be facing.

In contrast, personal coaching places more attention on the positive aspects in a teen’s personality and life. Also, coaching demands that teens actually be more accountable for their actions. This all serves to validate them, which often leads to much better results than therapy can provide.

Role of Coaching

In the past decade, the life coach industry has come to the forefront as a great remedial option for a variety of situations. From career to personal life, many people have benefited from working with a coach. Coaches not only provide a sounding board, but a way to develop actual strategies that serve to correct and divert clients toward a better direction in their lives.

When dealing with troubled teens, the most important thing that parents should understand is that becoming angry will do nothing to resolve the situation. In fact, it will only serve to create further distance and shut down lines of communication.

As difficult as dealing with a troubled teen can be, getting them the help they need with a teen life coach can systematically and thoroughly address each issue. This will put them on a positive track to get through their teen years safely and productively.

Personal life coaches use their skills to support teenagers through growing pains by addressing their concerns in non-judgmental ways.  One of the great reasons parents should consider hiring a personal life coach is that coaches will immediately ease the tension for the challenges faced, by listening and understanding just as a therapist does. The difference is also that a coach will help teach your teen how to turn challenges into positives when dealing with various life circumstances.

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• Creative Commons image source

Guest Post Author:

Kelly Kovacic is a paralegal who understands that teens who have been involved with legal issues really need the help of a professional coach to get their life back on track. However, as their legal counsel you can further assist teens and their parents by partnering with a lifestyle coach. Noomii has professional coaches available all over the country. Any lawyer who practices in Missouri will have access to a life coach in St Louis that can help turn their client’s life around.

You Could Injure Someone

Sometimes, the most obvious answers are right in front of you.  Why shouldn’t you drink and drive?  For one thing, it is frighteningly dangerous.  Driving a car can be a dangerous practice when a person is not in the right state of mind.  This can be anything from talking on their cell phone to falling asleep.  Your reaction time slows down, your judgment is poor – let’s face it: you are a mess when you are drunk.  The last thing you should be doing is driving home.  If you do, you run the risk of not only hurting yourself, but also hurting someone else.

The Legal Ramifications Are Costly

In case you did not realize, driving while intoxicated is against the law, and one that law enforcement takes pretty seriously.  As of 2011, each state’s legal limit for blood-alcohol content is at .08%.  Fail a breathalyzer test and you should prepare yourself for a night in jail.  It unfortunately does not stop there, however.  Get ready to shell out some of your hard-earned cash for DUI lawyer costs and a variety of fines and penalties that you will incur.  You will probably have your license suspended as well, which can be a pain when you need to drive in order to get to work.  Speaking of work, employers do not usually look kindly on people with DWIs and DUIs on their record.  Save yourself all these headaches and just do not do it.

Avoiding Driving Drunk is So Easy

It is understandable that you want to have a good time, but it is important to remember that you need to be responsible when going out for a night on the town.  If you are going out with a group of friends, take turns as the designated driver.  You may feel like it spoils some of your fun, but getting a DUI or harming someone will ruin your night much worse than cutting yourself off after a couple of drinks.  Or if you have the opportunity to take a taxi or other public transportation options, do not second-guess it.  On top of having a ride home, you will not have to worry about parking.  It is a win-win.

Enjoy the night out, but do not take an unnecessary risk behind the wheel.  Part of the reason cabs exist are for this very reason.

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• Creative Commons image source

Guest Post Author: ( on behalf of themcshanefirm.com)

Andrew has had his fair share of drunk drivers. Being part of the safe program at his school, he has seen how alcohol affects people and wanted to let others know about it.

So how can a parent know if their child is struggling with drugs? Teenagers can be especially difficult to read, because they often keep to themselves. However, there are certain warning signs to look for. If you recognize them you might be able to help your child before the situation grows worse.

Change in family and friend relations

If your child suddenly begins treating family and friends differently, this may be an early warning sign. It’s important to know your child’s friends and keep in communication with them. Watch to see if your child suddenly has a different group of friends or is fighting with their old ones.

Personal appearance

Your child might start dressing different, taking on a messy style or careless appearance. Poor hygiene as well as red flushed cheeks, marks on legs or knees as well as burn marks on fingertips and lips are signs of a drug problem.

Other health issues

Watch for frequent nosebleeds, which can be a sign of snorted drugs. Other health issues such as sores and spots around the mouth, vomiting, seizures, headaches, sweatiness, or frequent illness are all strong indicators. While cold sores are common for teenagers they can also be a sign of marijuana use. Additionally, open sores anywhere on the face and body might indicate meth use, as users will often pick at their skin. Many drug addicts, especially those who use cocaine, meth, and amphetamines tend to loose weight quickly as a result of loss of appetite. Sleeping problems can be a sign of hallucinogen use. Memory loss, nausea and vomiting can be signs of dissociative anesthetic use.

Changes in habits

Little things, such as constantly chewing gum to cover up breath, avoiding eye contact, clenching teeth, locking bedroom doors, use of air fresheners or candles, and munchies(increase in appetite) are all signs of a problem. Also keep an eye out for careless activities such a reckless driving, and frequently breaking curfew. While most teenagers struggle to get adequate sleep on a nightly basis, drug users will be especially tired from hangovers or amphetamine use.

Schoolwork

Your child’s schoolwork can also be a good gauge of whether or not they are having a problem with drug use. A sudden and unexplained drop in grades can be one warning sign. Also look for a loss of interest in school, failure to complete homework and other assignments on time, and calls or reports from teachers regarding poor behavior or excessive absences. If your child participates in extracurricular activities such as sports, band or clubs, drug use will likely cause them to lose motivation in these activities.

About the Author:

Hyrum Taffer is a freelance writer who has extensive experience with helping drug addicts and substance abusers. He is currently working with DrugRehab.org to help people over come these problems.

However, the law is mended in a way to help mitigate occurrences of DUI related cases and offenses. DUI education program is a rehabilitative and corrective measure that is aimed at counselling DUI offenders. DUI cases vary in severity, there are times the arrested offenders will pay minimal penalty fees and recommended to join a 12 hour DUI class, and in other instances high penalties or even jail terms will befall offenders.

DUI Classes in Los Angeles and their costs.

Severity of a DUI offense depends on the blood alcohol level of the offender at the time of arrest. Some classes are as short as 12 hours for first time offenders and some take up to 30 months. DUI Education program will vary in cost depending on the length of time the court recommended one to undertake the program, such as a 3 months 30 hours class session will cost about $500 to $600. For the 9, 18, 30 months programs, the cost will be very high.

The LA DUI class programs are as follows:-

1. The wet reckless program:

- This class is 12 hours long, recommended for first time offenders convicted with reckless driving with a measurable amount of blood alcohol, usually below 0.8.

2. A first offender program, 3 months:

- a 30 hour class for first time reckless driving offenders within span of 10 years, with a blood alcohol level of around 0.2 or lower. Otherwise, levels above that limit one will be recommended to enroll for the 9 months 60 hours class.

3. 18 Months DUI program:

class recommended for second and subsequent DUI offenders, program entails , class sessions and group counseling sessions as well as self-assessments.

4. 30 month DUI program:

this program involves counseling, classes group sessions, assessments and community service. 

Deborah Hersman, who is the current NTSB chairman, says that impaired driving is the biggest killer in America and that states must become bold enough to lower the blood-alcohol level as recommended. The bad news is that the NTSB can only make recommendations; it cannot make laws or regulations.

Another organization, The Governors’ Highway Safety Association, has congratulated NTSB for the strategy, but it supports the current level (0.08%). This association also supports installing ignition locks for all first-time offenders. It also feels that states will not lower the current level.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an advocacy group, is battling it out to completely eliminate drunk driving rather than tweaking around with blood-alcohol levels. MADD also wants improvements in technology, which will ensure that convicted DUI offenders are barred from driving again.

The Other Side of DUI Legislation

On the flipside, the American Beverage Institute has condemned the NTSB’s recommendation. This is natural because the number of drinks with meals will reduce and that will severely impact business. The American Beverage Institute is saying that the NTSB is targeting moderate and responsible drinkers instead of focusing on the heavy drinkers. The institute represents 8,000 restaurants and it will not go down without a fight.

More About The Blood-Alcohol Level

It takes just one drink for a woman to run up a 0.05% blood-alcohol level. Drivers who have six to seven drinks notch up a 0.15% level, and these are the drivers that cause 70% of the fatalities.

That said, over 100 countries have set the drunk driving level at 0.05% and America is one of the very few developed nations that is still sticking to 0.08%.

More About The NTSB’s Recommendation

NTSB is actually following the example set by the European Union, which set 0.05% as the level many years back. By 2010, their DUI fatalities had dropped by 50%. The Eurozone is now working towards a new goal – that of halving of their current DUI fatalities by cutting down the 0.05% level some more.

America has taken a leaf out of the European Union’s book and that is why the NTSB wants the level to drop to 0.05%.

Also, the recent crash in Carrollton, Kentucky, in which a drunk driver killed 25 people and injured 34, has shaken up the nation. This was a tragic case because the driver rammed his pick-up truck right into a school bus that was on its way back from a trip to the amusement park.

The NTSB has made a good case though. It argues that the blood-alcohol level was 0.10% in 1982, when it had recommended that the level be cut to 0.08%. None of the states, except for Utah, implemented the recommendation till 2004. After it was implemented, the number of deaths reduced by 50%.

Today, drinking and driving results in 10,000 deaths every year. It may be time for the NTSB’s recommendation to be made into law by every state.

Featured images:

•   Image author owned

Guest Post Contributor:

Michael N. Moreland is a journalist who is also writing about a Las Vegas DUI attorney.

Disclaimer:

This site does not compensate its guest bloggers for their posts. The opinions expressed in the guest posts are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of the Law offices of Christopher J McCann. In addition, Chris McCann criminal defense law firm does not review the posts for factual accuracy and therefore does not vouch for the accuracy of any facts contained within this guest post.

DUI training videos, can help police officers learn the proper way to make a DUI arrest. Some of these videos can be very detailed to understand the proper DUI arrest process.

There are several DUI online training videos are interesting to watch to think about facts of your case for steps that the police officer may have forgot to follow or was not training on. The videos can be accessed from YouTube with a simple keywords like “DUI training videos” and “DUI prevention training video”.

Another good and informative source is this url: http://blutube.policeone.com/videos/934036446001-dui-awareness/.  These videos accomplish the tough task of getting the message across without boring you to death with all monologues and information overdose.

The drunk driving training videos will help you understand how to deal with unwanted DUI situations. The videos are important to have the right knowledge to avoid unforeseen circumstances and also to tackle situations in a more sensible manner.

Awareness is extremely important and a lot of people are caught in a tight spot without a clue on how to handle a DUI situation for the offender and some times the arresting un-trained police officer. So everyone should be prepared by having the right knowledge which you can easily acquire by watching the DUI training videos which are available for free.

In Orange County and Los Angeles, the instances of DUI have been reportedly higher compared to the other states and this makes it even more important for the people to know about such situations. Partying and having some fun in life is important, but when you drive back home in an inebriated state, you are likely to invite trouble. So watch some DUI training videos and be on your guard by not driving and driving and having a ride home. 

DUI is considered as a misdemeanor crime because of the dangers it imposes upon the public. In addition to the legal consequences of this offense, you will also have a criminal record which can affect future employment opportunities. With that said, it is best to avoid such run-ins with the law. So, how can you avoid DUI charges? The best way to avoid getting arrested for drunk driving is to abstain from drinking. If you must drink, get a designated driver or take a taxi home. These are better options than getting handcuffed and sent to jail. If it is already too late, there are still some things you can do to get out of a DUI charge. The best advice is to immediately contact a DUI lawyer.

How to get out of a DUI arrest charge to avoid jail

Guest Post Author:

Kris Bennette is a blogger for legal websites. She usually writes about how to get off a DUI charge to help her readers avoid such frustrating circumstances.

There is a wide array of breathalysers in existence, believe it or not, although most of these are of the hand-held variety. However, their design and overall performance is subject to extremely exact regulations, as they are most often used as evidence during criminal proceedings.

How Do Breathalysers Work?

You should be aware that alcohol is not actually digested in the body, but merely absorbed into the tissues of the mouth, intestines, stomach and throat – although absorbed alcohol will eventually be excreted, partly through a person’s breath. Therefore, the alcohol content of one’s breath can also then be used to determine the blood alcohol content.

It is through the use of electrochemical fuel cell technology that the elements found within a breath sample can be identified, although the specific search is obviously for alcohol content. There are also certain breathalysers which will use an infrared spectrophotometer in order to scan the sample, whilst checking for alcohol and also calculating the alcohol percentage content. The blood alcohol content will be calculated based on the ratio of breath alcohol to blood alcohol, typically somewhere between 1700 and 2400. The reading though is expressed as the percentage of the blood that is actually alcohol.

Are There Certain Factors Which Affect Accuracy?

As blood alcohol content is not directly measured the reading given can really only be regarded as an estimate. In fact, there can be many different factors for a high or a low reading and this is often exploited by defense lawyers. Your blood composition or body temperature can affect the reading. A prime example of this is that a subject that has reduced blood content, for whatever reason, will automatically show a high blood alcohol content reading. The same can be said for blood or vomit in the mouth and for those who suffer with acid reflux.

It is also true that most breathalysers will be unable to tell the difference between standard alcohol as we know it (ethyl alcohol) and a substance such as acetone or petrol. So even if these compounds are present in the testing environment this may adversely affect readings. If you have just recently had a drink the readings may also be inaccurate as it takes at least a few minutes for alcohol to enter the bloodstream. Finally the presence of mobile phones or police radios may also produce an unreliable result so they are not as accurate as you may have initially imagined.

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• Creative Commons image source

Guest Post Author:

Jack Ramon, the author of this post, works for a leading criminal lawyer and he is a blogging enthusiast. He likes to write and create awareness among people about how to avoid becoming a victim and he strives to help achieve a crime-free society.