Dui?

[mepiccolo]

I would love to have zero drunk drivers on the road and agree with pretty much everything that has been said here.

However, I also remember being 22 and not everyone who has a couple of drinks needs rehab. Her blood alcohol level was not that high--it didn't sound like she'd had been on a total bender and it does sound like his daughter tried to be responsible by waiting to drive. One of the defenses of a good DUI attorney if someone is arrested AFTER they have stopped driving is that the blood alcohol level rises before it drops, which unfortunately waiting to drive may have been detrimental to her blood alcohol level. I'm glad she's getting an attorney.

I work for a vey experienced criminal defense attorney and wholeheartedly agree that the best way to have your child learn from this type of mistake is to make them pay for the legal representation and all fines/fees and make them take responsibility for all the hoops they are going to have to jump through after an arrest. Without fail the clients I see again and again are the ones who have (usually a parent, sometimes a spouse) who fixes everything for them, pays for them, makes all the phone calls for them, worrying about what they have to do next to make this go away for the offender. Of course then the offender never suffers the consequences of his/her ways and gets in trouble again and again. It drives me nuts and I so have to zip my mouth because I really would love to tell the co-dependent person that they are not being helpful at all, they are making the situation worse and why the heck are you calling all worried when it wasn't you who was arrested? Where the heck is _____, why isn't he/she calling instead of you? Sometimes it takes several arrests and the offender finally having to serve jail time before they serve any real consequence THEMSELF (which the parent can't serve for their child though I swear some of these people would do it if it was allowed!) Woooooo, thanks for letting me get that off my chest since I can't do it in real life! I have little ones right now but I've had this conversation with my husband-as hard as it may be given the love for your children, the very best thing you can do for them as loving parents is let them feel the pain of the consequences of their mistakes.

 

[sunnysky2k]

Dui? Forgot to mentioning of $$$

Solaris, Cancun We just went though this but in Michigan, not California. Total cost after all was done: about $5,000. First there was the lawyer ($1,500), then the court costs ($1500), then $1,000 for two years drivers license, then $123. for license reinstatement fees, $275 for an counselor's assessment fee, $270 for probation officer, $150 for counseling weekend. And who knows if our insurance went up. Plus 3 different days in court so off work for 3 days. Many of these charges are mandatory in state of Mich. We were glad we had a lawyer because it was someone to ask questions of. But his fee was certainly only the beginning. The good thing is our son learned his lesson (he's 22). He was trying to take a friend home after a wedding reception (about 1/4 mile) and in this town the cops stop everyone that's out driving that time of night. We got him all the way through college with no loans but now he owes us big time. It was a bad decision on his part, but we'll always be there to help and support him and he can move back home anytime he wants. I don't know what he would have done without us and it's actually drawn us much closer. He realizes we have helped him BIG time.


For taking a course. I know someone who had to pay $500 for mandatory course he had to take after charged for DUI.

 

[LUVourMarriotts]

Get your name off the title of the car and insurance yes. Kick them out of the house no. I would think it would be pretty tough to go after someone just because you lived under the same roof. Unless of course it could be shown that you supported the activity such as providing the alcohol that got them the DUI.

This may be different from state to state, but I know a family who lost EVERYTHING when their child was in a tragic car accident, causing another drivers death. They once lived in a very nice home, and now live in a starter home, trying to get back to where they were. They lost the house in the suit, had to sell a business and cars to get $$. (NOTE: I believe the child was on the parent's auto policy. I don't know how this would be different if it was a seperate policy.)

I'm not suggesting to do one thing or another, I'm just saying that parents can be VERY adversely effected by their childrens decisions/mistakes.