A friend of mine has been arrested for DUI here in Indiana and I am so dead worried for him that he might be imprisoned. What can he expect should he be convicted for his first DUI case?

Lorraine

Hammond, IN

A DUI conviction in the state of Indiana is a very serious matter but having the knowledge of the law would aid your friend as he goes on the conviction procedure. He doesn’t have to be frightened if this is his first DUI arrest, but he faces severe punishments under the DUI laws of Indiana so he has to determine what he can expect.

Drunk driving is commonly referred to as Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) in Indiana. Nearly all first time DUI’s are misdemeanor cases, given that the breath alcohol concentration (BAC) is no more than .15%. A first DUI conviction would have a fine of $500 plus court cost and fees for alcohol classes required by the court. He can also serve 60 days in jail, but nearly all first time DUI cases have a shorter period of jail time. An experienced DUI lawyer could also aid your friend to have shorter time in jail should he get convicted.

Because of his DUI arrest, it is also possible that he may lose his driver’s license. As a minimum, his driver’s license can be suspended for 180 days but should he pleads guilty, he can have a 90-day suspension or a 30-day suspension then 180 days of restricted driving privileges. Only an experienced DUI lawyer could aid him to find out which of the options would be best since it could not be to his advantage in the end if he pleads guilty. His best route to take is to hire a DUI lawyer and make a decision how to go on with his DUI case.

Could you explain to me what really the risk of drunk driving is and why does someone convicted for DUI would have increased insurance rates? My uncle got a DUI conviction here in Gary, Indiana and I also heard that he needs to get an SR22 auto insurance, what is this?

Jamar

Gary, IN

Well, if there is something that could drive anyone’s car insurance cost sky-high, it would be drunk driving or DUI conviction; that’s because according to the Insurance Information Institute, there’s an alcohol-related traffic fatality in the US every 29 minutes. So, aside from the risk of killing yourself and other people, drunk driving would carry serious penalties from your car insurance company.

The state of Indiana requires DUI offenders to get a form called SR22 from their auto insurance companies, so no one can hide. Your uncle needs to get SR22 auto insurance after his DUI conviction in Gary, Indiana and this form would prove to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that he carries liability insurance and it would remove his driver’s license from suspension. The SR22 auto insurance also requires his insurance company to notify the DMV if it cancels his auto insurance for any reason. He would likely have to file proof of insurance for three years with the DMV. Right now, he might be looking for an insurance company who would give him coverage for his SR22 auto insurance so I suggest for him to get an online rate quote available from this website.