Everyone getting a first-time DWI worries about the effect on their record. This is natural. A DWI conviction on your record can damage many areas of your life and even hinder your future.
For some people, the most important thing is keeping a conviction off their record. If that’s you, reach out to an attorney immediately. We will discuss specific things you need to do to help keep that conviction off your record. If this stresses you out, I can put your mind at ease. I have a good shot at keeping things off your record on a first-time DWI. It all depends on the facts of your case.
Whether a first-time DWI conviction stays on your record will depend on the judge and the prosecutor and where you got the ticket. But it also depends on the defense attorney you hire. You want to make sure and hire a defense attorney with experience keeping DWI convictions off of their client’s record.
The circumstances of your stop and charges, such as your blood alcohol content, play a big role in whether or not you will have a DWI conviction on your record. The lower your BAC, the more likely we can keep a conviction off your record.
Some people don’t care if they have a conviction on their record. For instance, as a lawyer, I work for myself. I’m never going to apply for another job. So, I don’t care if I get a DWI conviction. The Missouri Bar Association — the agency that lets me practice law—rarely cares if someone gets a first-time DWI. So having a conviction show up doesn’t influence me as much. But for some people, a conviction could hurt them. A conviction can have severe consequences for reasons other than employment. It could hurt a custody battle or cause embarrassment to their family.
Thankfully, there are ways to avoid a DWI conviction on your record. It depends on your goals and how hard you want to work to keep that conviction off your record. Do you want to go to outpatient treatment? Will you attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings if the court requires you? Do you want to do community service? These are some of the options my clients have chosen to avoid a DWI conviction on their record.
Do you have to do them? No.
Does it let the judge know you are taking the charges seriously? Absolutely.
So, will you have a conviction? Not always.
Hiring an attorney to navigate the process is the first step in figuring that out.
If you fall out of a tree and break your arm, you don’t want to watch a YouTube video and try to fix it yourself. Trying to figure out a way to keep a conviction of your record by yourself is like that.
To take this analogy a step further, let’s say you break your arm and decide to see a heart surgeon, not just any heart surgeon, but the best in Missouri. Even if that person is a great heart surgeon, they won’t be very effective in fixing your bones.
Don’t hire any attorney if your goal is to keep a DWI conviction off your record. Your family attorney may be great when it comes to helping you with a divorce or a will, but they won’t be the person the help you figure this out. They won’t know much about this side of the law, and certainly not enough to help keep a DWI conviction off your record.
As criminal defense attorneys, the team at MRD Lawyers handles DWI cases successfully every day. Don’t waste any time if you don’t want a DWI conviction on your record. Call us today.
