First-Time DUI Costs in Fulton County

First-Time DUI Costs in Fulton County

An arrest for first-time DUI in Fulton County is a very embarrassing and isolating experience. In addition to the shock of the arrest, the night in a holding cell and the spectre of a permanent criminal record, there is a sharp economic reality: once you have been arrested, it is quite easy to fall into a cycle of poverty. Many people who are convicted of a crime believe that it is simply a traffic ticket that they will have to pay a fine for. In fact, the costs quickly add up into a myriad of required charges, hidden charges, and ruinous long-term costs. Its actual impact underscores why it is important to fight back against the charge with the help of an experienced Atlanta DUI Lawyer.

Immediate Aftermath: Bail, Towing and Impound
The money flows out before you get to a courtroom. Local police will tow and impound your car the instant you get caught. If you are unable to retrieve your car right away, you will have to pay per day storage fees and huge towing charges, which is easily hundreds of dollars. At the same time, you need to make sure that you are physically let out of jail. The cost to post bail in Fulton County is anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to a thousand dollars or more, depending on the circumstances of your arrest and any aggravating circumstances. These are expenses that you are paying out of your own pocket that you are feeling right away that are before you even look at proof.

Court Fines and Unseen State Surcharges.
A judge presiding over the case will issue a base fine provided for by statute if you are convicted for a first offense. The minimum fine for a violation in Georgia is $300 and can be up to $1,000. This base number is very misleading, however. The fine is supplemented by a series of court-imposed state surcharges and local court costs that go to a variety of programs in Fulton County. The surcharges often double the original penalty. Although the initial $500 fine seems fairly small, it soon becomes a $1,000 burden. In addition, almost all convictions are followed by a compulsory 12-month probationary period. Additionally, monthly “supervision fees” of $40-$50 will be paid, and another $500-$600 in total court costs will incur.

The programs and evaluations required for the degrees, diplomas, and certificates of the Dental Sciences Program are mandatory.
The state mandates that convicted motorists go through certain educational and rehabilitative requirements, at their own cost. The first thing you must do is get through a state approved Risk Reduction Program, also referred to as DUI school. State law governs the cost of this intensive twenty hour program, which will be $360. You also have to do a clinical assessment of your drug use with a state-licensed counselor, typically $95-$150. If the counselor decides you need a second treatment, you will have to attend a second treatment program. This treatment can be brief education or inpatients treatment for several months. The cost of treatment can vary from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on the care needed, and will be paid out-of-pocket.

The cost of hardware is included with driving privileges and reinstating them.
A loss of driving privileges is a tremendous financial and logistical burden. After your suspension inevitably concludes, you have to pay a reinstatement charge to the Department of Driver Services in order to regain your driving privileges, which is approximately $210. However, if the goal is to get back on the road, leasing is often the route to go to obtain specialized equipment. If you chose to get an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) permit, you will have to pay for the initial installation, monthly permit fees, periodic appointments for calibration on the device and for removal at the end of the permit. An extra $1,000 to $1,500 is spent over the course of a mandated year from an IID. If you’re not driving during any time that you aren’t, then you’ll need to consider the daily expenses of using a service like a rideshare application to get to work as well.

The Hidden Insurance Penalty is a feature of the game that is hidden from the player.
One of the worst financial effects of a conviction is the long term effect on your auto insurance rates. If convicted, you will probably be asked to get an SR-22 certificate, which will show that you have the minimum required liability coverage. Your insurance company will immediately recognize you as a high-risk driver and increase your monthly premiums by as much as double, or even triple. This punitive rate increase will stay on your policy for 3-5 years. The cost to insurance companies is the other $150 to 200 per month for the next five years and the penalty can easily exceed $5,000 to 10,000 over the five-year period, based on a calculation of the aggregate expense.

Strategic Defense as a Financial Safeguard
Add on the towing, bail, huge court fines, probation supervision fees, classes, clinical evaluations, interlocks and the skyrocketing insurance rates and the cost of a first-time conviction in Fulton County is easy to calculate: $5,000 to well over $10,000. This is an astounding fact and a clear reason why it is vitally important to aggress the charge from the beginning. A committed Atlanta DUI Lawyer is one of the essential financial moves to safeguard assets. A knowledgeable lawyer such as James Yeargan will have a thorough understanding of the local court system and will do everything possible to uncover any weaknesses in the State’s case. James Yeargan is contesting the legality of the original traffic stop or the scientific reliability of the breathalyzer to get charges lowered or dismissed. You will save thousands of dollars, your job and your financial future by avoiding a conviction.