Driving Under the Influence in Montana (DUI) has become an extraordinarily serious offense. It can end your professional career and it can land you in prison. There is no such thing as “just” a DUI. If you are young, this may affect whether you can get student loans and whether you can be considered for the military. The most important thing in my view is to do everything possible to minimize the damage that this offense could do to your criminal record.
Will I Lose My Montana Driver License?
The short answer is, it depends.
Any person who is arrested for a DUI is concerned about their future and their ability to maintain a driver’s license while they work. Unfortunately, the circumstances vary from case to case with such enormous unpredictability that it is very difficult to tell you in advance whether you will lose your license or not. It is my job to try and give you the best possible chance of maintaining your employment and your ability to work at that job.
If you decide to call me I will want to meet you in person, I will want to see the vehicle you were driving at the time, and I would like to see all of the police reports or other paperwork that you were given up to the time of our meeting. These can include:
- Future court dates,
- The ticket itself,
- Permissions to continue to drive after your arrest,
- Waivers of jury trial,
- Insurance claims,
- Reports by insurance companies,
- Police reports,
- and other reports
But it is extremely important that you come to the interview with every single piece of paper that you were given. I live and breathe paperwork.
If you decide to hire me, we will immediately go on a tour of how it was that you were arrested. I will want to know who you were with, what the circumstances of the arrest were, the street corners, the lighting at the time, etc. It is my job to know everything about how your arrest took place. Once I have a thorough understanding of how you were arrested, I can more appropriately answer the question of whether or not you will lose your license or not.
But don’t give up hope. Many cases that seem to be an inevitable loss actually can be saved.
What Are the Types of DUI in Montana?
Have a DUI in Montana? They come in different charges, and you need to know which you’ve been charged with and what your driving status in Montana might be. To do your homework on this matter, check out the following statutes discussing the types of DUI.