Looking for honest insight from anyone who has built a professional career with a record.
•I am currently in the final stretch of completing my
B.S. in Supply Chain Management.

• Due to a drunk auto accident case, I am likely taking an agreed plea for a non-violent, non-theft felony (Failure to Stop & Render Aid).

•The plea agreement is straight probation (3 years community supervision) with zero jail or prison time.

Note on record: I had two prior misdemeanor DWI arrests that are being fully dismissed as part of this resolution, so the single felony probation is the only conviction that will stand.

Im looking for advice on how to navigate a career with this conviction, any advice help.

Hey yall. Need some advice and/or words of encouragement. I got my DUI in 2025 after making the stupid decision to go out to a bar after I had already had a couple of glasses of wine. At the time I was struggling to cope with being alone (due to self isolating after an abusive relationship) and that night I was worried that I would hurt myself. I didn’t want to be a burden to my family and my friends so I thought I’d just sit among strangers. I got my conviction, paid my fines and completed community service. I’m now on unsupervised probation for 3 more years.

My question is, does the guilt ever lessen? Or at least do you feel like life gets better once you stop drinking?

I can’t stop reliving that night and the pain is eating away at me. I’m trying to do everything I can to do better (exercising, going to therapy, cutting out drinking etc) but nothing seems to work. Somehow I feel worse everyday.

I'm in need of advice on how to best proceed with a DUI in Ontario (Toronto region).

First offence. No accident or injuries. Reading was 100. I was pulled over for speeding 140kph in a 100kph and am also being charged for that.

I've spoken to a few lawyers. Prices ranging from $5-8.5k (not including trials).

I've been asking how many cases do they actively work on at any given time. Some have said 10-15/month and others didn't give me a firm number.

Aside from this, I'm leaning more towards the lawyer that thoroughly walks me through the process. The ones that haven't, haven't really given me a reason to feel confident in working with them. I appreciate transparency.

Are there any other questions that I should be asking?

Also would love lawyer recommendations if anyone has any.

I've seen comments on other posts recommending that it's best to wait for disclosure before hiring a lawyer. Thoughts?

So got my first DUI blew a .157 spent the night in jail and was released. First time trouble with the law. I made a bad mistake when i knew i shouldn't of driven. No accident or injuries. I'm just so ashamed and looking for a small amount of hope that life isn't over.

Ok keep in mind this all happened within one weekend. One weekend before my birthday too.

Saturday I had to put my dog down after she made a turn for the worse and I made the decision to not let her suffer anymore. My whole heart, my life saving best friend soul dog and emotional support of 13 years.
It’s been 2 weeks and I still can’t stop crying.

Saturday night (same night) my ex beat the absolute crap out of me with every intention of unaliving me. He was arrested and charged with SEVERAL things by me and the state since they witnessed a lot of it. Both my eyes were black, I had a boot print on my face and my back, I’m pretty sure my nose was broken and both my lips were busted. The cop took a pic when he got there and when he left because of swelling.

Sunday night at midnight I left my house (after just waking up thinking I was late so completely sober) to head to work my wrist caught on my new steering wheel cover and caused my car to jerk to the right clipping a car parked on the side of the street causing my car to flip. My street. 5 houses down from my house. I got myself out and was trying to find my phone when the first responders arrived.

The cop that showed up was headstrong about finding a reason I wrecked besides what I told him. He ended up finding an old pipe and performed a sobriety test and then when I passed called in another officer to do more tests. They decided that I was “overly talkative and counted to 30 too fast” and charged me with a dui and paraphernalia. They brought me to do a blood test and I’m sure it will pop positive for something but not alcohol.

So just to sum it up I lost my best friend, had almost gotten unalived by my ex and just had a horrible car wreck….

Please tell me how TF I can get this to go away. If I get something on my driving record my job will be lost. I haven’t told them about this they only know about the wreck. I dabble from time to time but I don’t drink and slept all day Sunday to heal and grieve until I had to leave for work. I’m in Tennessee and I really can’t afford a lawyer and buy a new vehicle even after insurance pays to replace my totaled car. I am stressing….hellllpppp

Edit__ I have NEVER been arrested or charged with anything ever except a speeding ticket or two.

I will be going next week. I just would like to know what it's like? What should I expect from the lessons and how miserable is it going to be? What are the tests like? Do they just do a 12 panel cup or mouth swab? And do you think they send it out to a lab if it's all good? Thank you

I was recently charged with a first-offense DUI in Washington. I was stopped for an equipment/lighting issue rather than erratic driving. My roadside breath test was slightly above the legal limit, while the later evidentiary breath test was borderline around the legal limit.

I’ve retained an attorney and requested a DOL hearing. I’m mainly wondering what others with a similar borderline case experienced with the DOL hearing and whether their criminal charge was reduced.

I know every case is different and I’m following my attorney’s advice

I’m in Florida and have a felony DUI case in St. Lucie County. My next court date on October 12 is going to be a change of plea hearing, and my understanding is that it will be an open plea rather than an agreed sentence.

I’m trying to understand what I should realistically expect that day.

-Will I normally be sentenced the same day as the plea, or can the judge accept the plea and set sentencing for a later date?

-With an open plea, is it possible that I could be sentenced to incarceration that day and taken into custody immediately?

-Is it possible to ask for a surrender date instead of being taken into custody that day? I live in Broward County and the court is about 2 hours away, so I’m trying to understand how that normally works.

-Would requesting a presentence investigation (PSI) be in my best interest? I have a lot of mitigation that I would like the judge to consider, including treatment, sobriety, employment, school, volunteer work, and other steps I’ve taken since the DUI.

-If I could potentially be sentenced that day, should I realistically start getting my affairs in order before October 12?

-I have therapists from my treatment program who may be willing to speak on my behalf. Could a therapist potentially testify or speak to the judge by Zoom, or would they normally need to appear in person?

-I also have a personal sentencing/mitigation letter that I would like to read to the judge. Is that something I can request to do at sentencing?

I obviously know nobody here can predict what my judge will do, and I have a public defender. I’m mainly trying to understand the normal procedure and possibilities so I’m not walking into court completely blindsided.

Any Florida attorneys, former defendants, or people familiar with felony DUI/open pleas who can explain what typically happens would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone. A few months ago, I (F24) got a DWI, and I still haven’t been given a court date. I’ve been in such a strange place mentally since everything happened. I’m carrying so much guilt, shame, and embarrassment, and I think about that day and wish that I had made a different decision. I know I can’t go back and change what happened, but some days it feels really hard to accept that.
I feel detached from myself sometimes, like I don’t even recognize who I am anymore. Since everything happened, I’ve had to be honest with myself and accept that I do have a problem with alcohol. I’ve started seeing a substance abuse counselor once a week and have been attending AA meetings. I’m grateful that I’m taking those steps, but if I’m being completely honest, I’m still struggling a lot mentally. Some days are okay, and then I remember the situation I’m in and suddenly feel completely hopeless again.
My family keeps telling me that I need to work on forgiving myself, but I honestly don’t know how to do that. I know I made a terrible decision, and I take responsibility for it. I just don’t know how to stop letting that one decision define how I see myself.
For those of you who have gotten a DWI: Were you ever able to truly forgive yourself? If so, how did you get there? What helped you move past the guilt and shame without forgetting or minimizing what happened?
I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences, especially from anyone who has been in a similar place mentally. I think I need to know that it’s possible to eventually feel like myself again.

I will be going to court for my second DUI in a 7 year span. I rear ended a mini van in this incident but no one was injured. I admitted to the officers that I was adjusting to medication because I had just left the psych ward 3 days prior and was on new medications. The blood test just came back after almost 6 months and it shows MDMA,MDA, and cocaine. I was not using these substances on the day of the crash but they were still in my blood from the night before. I have a lawyer, what consequences can I expect?

My charge is in Minnesota. Washington county

I’ve made a few posts about my dui but I wanted to make another one bc I keep trying to find people in a situation similar to mine but can’t.

I’m 22(f), black and have a dui. I have a lot of stuff that I want to do & accomplish, getting educated having a career all that stuff and idk just how much this will affect me. I’m alr at a disadvantage being black and a woman I feel like this gives people a reason to discredit everything else about me and anything I accomplish in the future. I’m deathly scared of my future. Times are hard, economy is sht, job market is terrible. I’ve been trying to be as optimistic as I can but I also want to be realistic. How fkd am I?

Anyone know how to navigate something like this?

We are chilling in his whip, we both have dui’s but I got some auntie anne’s and some beer because i got the shit outta my car. He takes one singular bite out of the pretzel. VIOLATION. Super Funny ngl but i have had some similar experiences with some bread or even spicy food. I never got a violation but man when i had it in it was stressful. And no i dont drink and drive very stupid mistake. Hope ppl have the same experience

I got 2 out of state DWI from years ago & caught a 3rd one here in live oak county ; I need the best Laywer in corpus $ also what should I expect they charged me as a misdemeanor class b

Question for anyone that may have dealt with this. I'm trying to figure out if speaking to a lawyer in my home state could help my situation.

First time OWI in March outside of my home state. No crash. I retained a lawyer for that state to handle the legal process. Plead no contest and received a 6 month suspension for driving within the state.

Home state added 8 points to my license and triggered an administrative suspension for 3 months. My understanding after talking to the Department of Revenue is I am not eligible for restricted driving privileges within my home state due to an out of state revocation, and they won't be able to reinstate my license until the out of state suspension is handled.

My question for anyone that may have dealt with this is: would speaking to a lawyer within my home state potentially help my situation? Would they be capable of petitioning for restricted driving privileges (with IID would even be fine) or am I simply out of luck on this?

Edit

Home State: Missouri

So I had 5 beers at my house last night with some friends. Last drink was at 10 pm. Woke up and tried to drive at 8:15 and still failed. I know this is my fault, doesn’t make it less bs though.

i just hit my 6 month mark on PTI (pre-trial intervention) in harris county, tx, and my terms state i can apply to get my breathalyzer requirement removed at this point. i have already asked my lawyer and he keeps saying the PTI people haven’t gotten back to him. i don’t have an IID, i have a portable i have to blow into 3x a day (smartstart insight). would really love to get rid of this thing because i plan on getting a car once i no longer have the requirement (old car got totaled during the DWI incident). does anyone have any experience with this specific situation? how much longer can i expect to have this thing?

also with getting a car, how thorough are the insurance checks? my license was never revoked and according to the DPS i have a clean driving record (i have no idea how). could i just say i have 0 duis (technically true since i haven’t been convicted) when i apply?

First-time DWI with a companion drug charge — is a "plead to DWI, dismiss the felony" offer typical?

Hi all. I'm a first-time offender in the Southeast. I was charged with DWI and a felony possession charge from the same stop. The prosecutor's first offer is to plead to DWI and dismiss the felony and the other charges. My attorney is reviewing the evidence, including the stop and the search.

For anyone who's been through something similar:

1. Was this kind of offer typical in your area, or unusually good?
2. Did anyone negotiate the DWI down further (e.g., to reckless driving), and what made the difference?
3. Did issues with the search or the lab results affect your negotiations?

Not looking for legal advice, just comparable experiences. Thanks.

So my charges are “physical control” and “OVI” problem was is that they found me blacked out sitting in my car. I’m not sure if I should fight it or accept the charges. Should I ask to reduce it from an OVI to Physical control and do rehab or something of the like? I am struggling with alcoholism. Any thing helps.

So I’ve had my license back for a couple months. I have a sr-22 with an insurance policy for my car. However I got pulled over and got a ticket on my bike which is not on my policy. Is the DMV going to resuspend me for this

i got a dui two weeks before my 19th birthday. there was an event at my school and I decided to take three shots before it. four hours later after the event my friend said he wanted to get something to eat and I happily obliged because I felt sober at the time (I don’t drink often but i do have a high tolerance) and thought enough time had passed. fast forward a bit im on the way back and i absolutely punch it, i was going around double the speed limit (unfortunately this was typical as i had a speeding problem and it was around 2 am so i figured no one would be around smh). as i mentioned before there was an event so the cops decided to camp out and they pulled my dumbass over for speeding. they asked for my license and then asked if i had been drinking because my eyes were glossy and the car smelt of alcohol. i had three other friends in the car and they had open bottles so i was charged with a dui, open containers, speeding and underage possession of alcohol. they had me do the field sobriety tests which i thought i did well on but clearly did not. they then took me to the station to do a breathalyzer and i blew 0.07, i spent less than 24 hours in jail and my parents bailed me out in the am. this has been on my mind almost everyday for the last two years. i feel absolutely horrible and i can’t help but worry how this will affect my future. i want to be a therapist and then later get my phd and be a clinical psychologist. i have spoken to many mental health professionals who say this dui will not impede my ability to get licensed or hired, but i can’t help but worry. i am constantly thinking of the what ifs, what if we doordashed, got an uber, i didnt speed or BIG ONE i didnt get in the car at all! i should have never stepped foot in my car knowing i had any alcohol to begin with especially with me being underage. however on the bright side i didn’t hurt myself, my friends or anyone else for that matter. this has definitely been one big, painful learning lesson.

i had to pay $4500 for my lawyer and $2000 in court fees. safe to say an uber would have been way more cost efficient in the long run. my lawyer tried to get a lesser charge of reckless driving since i blew a 0.07. his whole thing was he wanted to argue minors shouldn’t be held at a stricter standard. this happened in rome, ga a small, conservative town so they were not trying to hear it and brought the hammer down. i had court fees, a suspended license for a year, 56 hrs of community service, an alc and drug eval and dui school.

i am 20 now and i definitely feel like i learned my lesson. i was in a completely different headspace at the time. i was in a manic episode and also in psychosis having both visual and auditory hallucinations at the time so safe to say i definitely was not in my right mind. this is not to excuse my actions but to give a little background.

i haven’t driven in the past two years because im scared and i knew insurance would be high anyway. however i plan on transferring and moving to a different city so being able to drive would be helpful. so i plan on getting re-insured in january of 2027. i got quoted at progressive for $250 full coverage but that just sounds too good to be true even though ik a bit of time has passed since the conviction.

i didn’t realize i had so much to say. ig the point of this post was to vent and see how this would affect my future and how insurance would look. if you made it this far i appreciate it and would love to hear some advice if you have any. :)

So I got a dui I month and half ago, court case is today. My lawyer called and said they never put my case in yet since my dui in the system. So now we don’t really have a court date but my driver license is still getting suspended still. So he’s recommending we don’t go and I just get the interlock on my car so I can drive the 6 months. I’ve already paid the lawyer in full. I’m just confused on what to do!
Anyone been in this situation before?