Everyone facing a 1st offense DUI charge certainly intends for it to be their last. There has probably never been anyone in the history of the world who has thought differently. However, and as the old saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. The reader can be sure that every person who has ever had a 2nd offense or 3rd offense DUI had sworn, each time prior, that they would never get caught driving drunk again. That simple promise may work for some people, but not for everyone. Before anyone blows this off, let me explain…
In our roles as Michigan DUI lawyers, we actively try to help our clients to make sure that their first DUI is, in fact, their last. This involves more than just trying to scare someone by rattling off how much worse a 2nd offense is over a 1st offense DUI charge. It’s understandable that everyone’s first concerns are things like staying out of jail, protecting their record, and not losing the ability to drive. Fortunately, that’s usually easy for us to accomplish in 1st offense cases.
Many people are so relieved when they avoid those things that they have little interest in thinking about any kind of “next time,” because they’re convinced there won’t be a next time. To be sure, for the vast majority of people, a 1st offense DUI charge WILL be their last. However, anytime a person finds him or herself in criminal legal trouble, it’s important to examine the whole situation honestly, and with an open mind, to see how he or she got there.