Prince George’s County DUI Classes
DUI school is mandatory if someone is found guilty of a DUI offense. Under COMAR, the Code of Maryland Regulations, a judge is required to order them to engage in and complete an alcohol education class. A state-certified class or program must be approved by the state. A person could go to DUI school voluntarily without a court order. If you were ordered to attend Prince George’s County DUI classes or are considering enrolling on your own accord, a knowledgeable attorney could help.
Structure of DUI or Alcohol Education Programs
The DUI or alcohol education programs in PG County consist of a couple of different structured variations. Most of them are weekly classes. A person may go for an hour a week for 12 weeks or two hours a week for six weeks. Some rarer programs could be more intensive. These may include weekend-type programs where a person could go Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for a certain number of hours each day and finish the entire program in one weekend.
Educational Materials Used in a Course
Courses typically consist of lessons that a person could listen to. While there may be some literature, one typically does not buy a book or take a test. It is more of a matter of talking about:
- The effects of alcohol
- The rising and descending phase of alcohol absorption or extrapolation
- How quickly alcohol absorbs in the body
- How long it takes to break it down
- What level of impairment could affect someone’s ability to be coherent and drive safely
Such topics make the DUI courses in Prince George’s County more informative and less of a test-taking class scenario or structure.
Who Runs the DUI Education Programs?
DUI education programs are mostly private for-profit entities. There are typically few if any non-profit organizations. The local health department provides some options in certain locations and at certain times of the year. Classes are state-certified and run by medical professionals who are licensed and certified to provide the services.
Online Class Options for Maryland
The online options for Maryland DUI courses are typically frowned upon. There is a certain benefit to having an interpersonal interaction that could be a bit more powerful than having a video screen. While a number of online classes may are available to help individuals who do not have the ability to take in-person courses, few pertain to Maryland’s requirements and are state-certified. People who may wish to take online classes could include:
- Individuals who are physically incapacitated
- Individuals with careers that do not allow them to take classes
- Individuals who travel
- Truck drivers who are never in the same spot for more than a few days and are not able to sit in a class for that many weeks at the same time every week
While online courses for Prince George’s County DUI may be better than nothing, judges typically frown upon those.
Could Traffic School Substitute for DUI Educational Programs?
Traffic school is not the same thing as DUI educational programs, although some drivers may find these courses helpful. Typically, it does not much of a difference for DUIs since driver improvement is meant for someone who drives a little too fast or is unsafe because of the aggressive nature of their driving.
Advantages of Taking an Alcohol Education Course
Taking an alcohol education course could show the judge that the individual takes the matter seriously and is being as proactive as possible in addressing the DUI charge. It may show they are going above and beyond and might look impressive to a judge, who could give a smaller fine or let the defendant go on unsupervised probation without being supervised by an agent. Judges may reward people who are proactive and take it upon themselves to do whatever they can without requiring a court order. If the person does not take the course proactively, a judge could make them.
An individual is recommended to approach alcohol education courses with an open mind and a willingness to be a part of it. Speak to a criminal defense attorney about taking Prince George’s County DUI courses.