DUI While on Probation in Howard County
If a person is charged with a DUI while on probation in Howard County for a prior offense, that does not change the new offense unless it is a repeat offense. In that case, it will be more severe. When someone has a prior, if they are on probation for anything, the new charge could violate that probation which could cause them to get a warrant for their arrest and to face additional penalties from the old case in addition to charges in the new case. Consult with a professional Maryland DUI lawyer for more information.
Relationship Between Old and New Cases
If it the previous charge is an alcohol-related offense, that is going to be a huge problem both in the old case for the probation violation and the new case. Probation is designed to avoid incarceration and let somebody learn from the experience to change their behavior. If they get a new alcohol offense, then probation has not worked and the judge will be more inclined to punish them more severely, which usually means time in prison. A DUI while on probation in Howard County is a serious matter. However, there is a possibility of being returned to probation or serving additional probation depending on the circumstances.
Conditions of Probation
In Howard County, the judges are treatment oriented. On the first offense DUI, a judge might place the individual on a period of supervised probation, generally a minimum of 12 months, but it can be up to two years.
A person can be placed on supervised probation through DDMP, which stands for the Drinking and Driving Monitoring Program. They will have to check in monthly, and there is a $50 per month supervision fee. The judges cannot waive that, so it will cost money. The person will also be required to do what is called a Mothers Against Driving, MAD, which is an impact panel where they go for an evening to hear stories of drunk driving accidents, which is aimed to help them understand the gravity of the situation. They will also be required to do an alcohol education program assuming they have not done one already. There may also be fines to pay, which can be anywhere between $200 to $500 on the first offense.
Acquittal of DUI
If a person is acquitted of a DUI charge, the violation of probation is dismissed and the original probation continues.
In any circumstance, a DUI conviction is a new criminal act in its most basic sense is a violation. It is a new criminal offense and any probation mandates the person to incur no new criminal charges. What a judge could do is impose up to the full maximum penalty allowed by law pursuant to the violation.
If someone is on probation and has three years of suspended jail sentence over their head, a judge can give them three years because of the new charge. A DUI while on probation for another offense in Howard County can be costly.
Penalties for a DUI on Probation
Penalties for a DUI on probation do not change anything for the DUI charge. It does make it worse if a person is on probation for a DUI when they get a DUI. That is worse than if the person was not on probation. The penalties can increase, but DUI charges are usually the same. Skilled attorney should be contacted in these instances.