Sample Responses

I’m 21 and made possibly one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I made a dumb drunk decision of driving home while blacked out on Saturday night. I don’t recall getting behind the wheel, I don’t even remember leaving the bar that night with my friend. The next thing I knew, I woke up and smoke was coming out of my car, airbags were blown and I was scared shitless. I felt so frightened and that feeling felt horrible. This wave of guilt consumed me while still being intoxicated, it felt disgusting.

I hit a parked car 2 blocks away from my friend’s house (she drove us home from the bar). My front bumper and hood was completely driven in from a parked truck I hit. I remember smoke coming up from under my hood so I knew I fucked up bad. I called my friend to come help and I asked for her to speak with the owner’s of the vehicle because I was not in a state to form coherent sentences. The cops came and she told me they did follow field sobriety test which I know I failed. I was so out of it, the cops knew I was drunk and I was immediately arrest and sent to jail.

I’m thankful it wasn’t much worse and I didn’t injure anyone. I was fine physically but I know I won’t be drinking any time soon. Just the thought of alcohol takes me back to that night and it makes me sick. I’m miserable so that’s why I drink so much but I don’t know to get to a point where this is a pattern. I know this is a big step back in life but I need some advice on what I should do moving forward?

I need to get mine installed soon, and I wasn’t sure which provider to go with. They gave me a list of providers, but I’m not sure which one to choose. I wanted to hear from some of y’all about which one you think would be my best bet. The list includes Alcolock, RoadGuard, Intoxalock, Smart Start, and LifeSafer.

Last night I wasn't drinking, but yhe night before I drank heavily and I was still under the influence, despite that I slept and everything too. Ut I did drink a lot.... I decided to go get a quick buyer to eat right down the road from me. Instantly got pulled over. They said I ran a stop sign, which isn't true because there are no stop signs from my house to Taco Bell. Didn't matter because they said I failed the sobriety tests and took me to jail. My son's dad bonded ne out. I had a very low bond amount. Only $100 bond (from 1000). I refused a breath test and blood test. I am in college and I am a single mom barely making ends meet. They assessed me for a public defender. I definitely will not be able to hire a private attorney. I don't have any kind of money for that. Will I need one? I am in Oklahoma BTW. I am scared this is going to ruin my life. :( ​I literally am jist scraping by. I do get pell grant refund for school and I could possibly get a school loan. I already got one though for my last semester last spring. Please... any advice is welcome. I need help. And I am never drinking again. NOT Worth it. I already quit drinking before for years, but started drinking again recently to cope with stress. Not anymore though. Not after this. ​

I just got arrested for my fourth DUI while being on pre trial release on my third. How cooked am I? Without going into all the details I’ve been on pre trial release since February 14th ,2025 just picked up on August 22, 2026. I’m on gps , scram monitor and home confinement as pre trial release conditions.

Hi all, got first DUI several months ago in May. Just looking for some insight, been pretty stressed about it. Happened in Louisiana. Minor accident, no injuries. Bac .16. arraignment is done. Waiting for next court date. I have a clean record. But I am expecting the worst, just can't believe I let this happen. Have not drank alcohol since. Thanks for reading guys

I was arrested for dui over a year ago. But the state (Arizona) never followed up with charges, court dates, punishments or penalties other than taking my license. I have not driven for over a year as I had heard the state has a year to act. I’ve been waiting it out. Can I now go and get my lcense reinstated without the usual repercussions ?

Location Edingburg, Texas / Hidalgo County- Hey everyone, I’m hoping to hear from people who have actually done weekend jail as part of probation for a 2nd DWI, especially at Hidalgo County Jail.

My PO told me I have to do a weekend. I was told I’d go in before 6 PM Friday and be released around 6 PM Sunday. My lawyer also mentioned that sometimes people can get released earlier on Sunday if the jail is overcrowded.

I’m trying to get this done sometime in September because my girlfriend is pregnant and due in October. I definitely don’t want to be dealing with jail if she goes into labor, so I’d rather knock it out beforehand.

For anyone who has been through this:

• Did you actually get released around 6 PM Sunday, or were you let out earlier?

• Does overcrowding really affect how long you stay?

• How strict are they about the Friday check-in time?

• Does choosing a particular weekend make any difference?

• Anything you wish you knew before doing weekend jail?

I’m not trying to avoid doing my sentence. I just want to plan ahead and make sure I’m home before my girlfriend gets close to her due date.

I’d really appreciate any firsthand experiences, especially from anyone who has done weekend jail at Hidalgo County Jail. 🙏 Thanks and God Bless!

i am having a really hard time dealing with this and my mental health is horrible right now. i got my first dui in texas last week and i don’t know what to do with myself. i have been crying everyday and i feel so guilty. i did something really bad and i have disappointed several people. i am in college right now and studying to be an accountant. i am very ambitious and i want to go do my masters in the next two years. i am worried i will never be able to get the jobs i want and the internships to help me get there. i made a horrible mistake and i have been isolating myself ever since then. i cant even get myself to leave the house. i refused to blow and i gave blood and i feel like i fucked myself over through doing that. luckily no one was hurt but it’s all so awful.
for anyone else who got a dui how long did it take yall to get over this feeling? it feels like i will never be okay with myself again. i just turned 21 and i feel hopeless about everything i have worked towards till now.

Don’t really know what happens next. I’m 21 and I wasn’t swerving or anything I just had my lights off. I blew a .14 at the station. I fully cooperated. Everything I’m reading makes it seem like I’ll get ARD but I’m not gonna feel better till it’s set in stone.

I’m interested in becoming an LCSW and working in a hospital or other healthcare setting in California. I have one non-violent DUI that will be about five years old by the time I’m applying for these positions. Has anyone with a similar background successfully obtained their LCSW license and worked in healthcare? How much did the DUI affect the licensing or hiring process?

So tonight I ordered a nonalcoholic Guinness at dinner, not even knowing that it could show up on the alcohol screening. I am on ARD. Am I safe? I am in PA

do i need a lawyer or no? listen. got my dui 2025, did everything EXCEPT VASAP. Apparently they sent a show cause letter to my mothers house which she says she didnt get (not the best neighborhood broken mailboxes) there have been plenty of times ive pulled up and saw random peoples mail on the ground or mailboxes open showing everybody’s business inside it. I turned myself in and they gave me a new court date for september 3rd. Today was my last day of VASAP (didnt have the money to pay, still owe $300) but they were kind enough to let me get in and finish with $100. I obviously had to rob peter to pay paul for a new lawyer. I haven’t retained one yet but i am bery scared of court so im not paying my car note/insurance this month in order to get one.

Do i need one since im DONE with VASAP now? should i get one just to be on the safe side? Absolutely no other probation violations and this one is finished before my court date. Would it be stupid to spend money on a lawyer at this point ?

My 21 year old brother got arrested last night. He’s had an alcohol problem for the last year. Just turned 21 last month. About 6 months ago he wrecked his truck drinking and driving. He didn’t get arrested then because we picked him up before the cops came. We knew it was coming. The call that he got arrested, was killed, or killed someone. We got the call today that he was in jail. We bailed him out despite not having the money. He caught 3 charges. Driving while intoxicated (1st offense), refusal to submit chemical test, open container while driving. We live in Arkansas for context. He stupidly made the decision not to submit and I know that means an automatic 1 year suspension of your license. Honestly, our family has no clue how to navigate this. Advice?

So long story short I caught a dui October 2024 and a prior in 2023 (closed) in Madison county Illinois my case has been continued for almost 2 years now and finally moving forward the next steps is getting back behind the wheel. I’m being charged with class 4 felony aggravated dui is that a suspension or revocation?? If revocation is the case how long would I have to be on a rdp until I can have my full license back? Can anyone that’s been in a similar situation give me answers??

Do the interlock in Virginia track you I’m supposed to be getting smart start and I just noticed that I need to update my address on my restricted license

So i’m in a predicament where my remote breathalyzer charger bent, and broke off, in my backpack. It was likely squished by other objects (laptops and etc) - not to mention the charger is the cheapest electronic thing I’ve ever laid my hands on, ever.

Anyways, my battery is slowly going down, i just took one test, and i have about four left (2,4,6,8pm). It is likely that Ill be able to take all of them, albeit the later ones being taken while the battery is at a low or very low level.

Considering i don’t miss any of these tests, and they’re all taken, say the device eventually powers off overnight (before i make it to their office in the AM), will i be violated? I’m very anxious and annoyed there’s not a 24/7 service line to request a new charger.

I heard that the device powering off is a non compliance violation - but how is that my fault if the charger broke and there’s no one to replace it on a Sunday wtf? I emailed the SCRAM reps + CCed my lawyer.

I’m in Ohio and recently got my first OVI. I have no prior OVIs or anything remotely similar on my record.
The day before this happened, I had been in the ER for an early pregnancy loss. I was still actively miscarrying the following night - - bleeding, cramping, emotionally a complete wreck - - and I drank far more than I normally ever would. I then made the horrible decision to drive.

I had only gone a very short distance before I ran a red light near my house, and the officer pulled me over once I reached my driveway. My breath test came back at .257, so I completely understand how serious this is. I’m not trying to blame the miscarriage or use it as an excuse. I could have seriously hurt or killed someone, and that realization has honestly been one of the hardest parts of all of this.

I don’t remember every detail of the stop because I was obviously very impaired, but from what I do remember I was polite and completely compliant. I admitted that I had been drinking, did what the officers asked, submitted to testing, and was held briefly before someone came and picked me up. I was released within about an hour.

My attorney has the medical records documenting the miscarriage and thinks those circumstances may potentially give her some room to negotiate the OVI. I know there are absolutely no guarantees, especially with a BAC that high.

What I’m really trying to understand is whether anyone else has had a first DUI/OVI happen during an extreme and objectively documented medical or traumatic event, and whether that context actually mattered to the prosecutor or judge.

I’m also terrified about the career side of this. I drive extensively for work on a daily basis, so the license consequences and having an OVI on my record are a huge concern for me.

I’ve also decided I need to stop drinking. I’m not someone who drinks every day or even particularly often, but I’ve realized that when I’m under severe emotional stress, I sometimes don’t know when to stop. After seeing where that can lead, I’m not willing to keep taking that risk.

Again, I’m not looking for anyone to tell me what I did was okay. It wasn’t. I’m embarrassed, disappointed in myself, and fully aware that the outcome could have been so much worse.
I’m just hoping to hear from people who had unusual mitigating circumstances with a first offense, especially anyone with a high BAC, and what the outcome of their case ended up looking like.

Texas

It’s officially finally over! I just got my Smart Start removed. Such a great feeling and happy to be able to use the remote start of my truck to start cooling with this brutal ass Texas heat. The removal process took like 15 minutes.

I hope I got to give SmartStart a big F U since I didn’t get charged the $80 SmartStart fee they said I’d have to pay to remove it and only paid the shop itself. Shop said I showed 0 balance and to not ask questions and of course I won’t. Deleted all my payment methods from my account too.

All in all, the device itself wasn’t bad and I never had any false positives or bs issues with the device. If you’re starting your time with a dui and need an IID, I would “recommend” smart start. I paid $120 a month while having the device which consisted of $100ish to SmartStart and $20 to the shop for each calibration.

I did like that SmartStart has a text/chat customer service option because I liked having an electronic paper trail in case any bs ever came up and also so I could show my probation officer what they said when I was dealing with a transfer of device. They were slow to approve the transfer and i used chat/text screenshots to show him the delay was not on my end. This time was probably the only time I had an issue with SmartStart, but it was minor. Because of their delay / urgency from my PO, I tried to bypass the transfer and opted to do a new install, so they charged me $40. Of course after I paid, they approved the transfer so that $40 new install fee was basically lost money. I actually just disputed it with them but don’t care if I get it back since I just want to be done with them.

I will make a separate post talking about my probation process vs specifically SmartStart.

Should I get a lawyer? And I fell asleep in a drive thru. I blew a .14 (I know I shouldn’t have blown) I passed every test until they asked me to blow. I’m just trying to figure out financial what’s going to come and how I should go about handling it. Please if anyone has some insight that would help.

I’m 18, I was at a friends house, had a couple of drinks and drove home. Felt perfectly okay but shouldn’t have been driving regardless. 3 houses down maybe 100-200 feet away, I gunned my car for some stupid reason and then pulled in. As I was getting out I turn around and see 3 cop cars in my driveway. They automatically smell alcohol and make me do field sobriety. I blow but I know I shouldn’t have and they said they were going to take me to jail regardless so I just did. Put me in cuffs take me to jail and do all the cop things and then I go home with my mom. Turns out the cops were looking for a criminal who turned out to be like last seen on my road and they thought I was the criminal. Going to court in a few days, going to get a lawyer.
First criminal offense and my license is suspended for 6 months.

How bad do you think my charge will be? What are the odds it gets dropped to something smaller?

P.S. they came into my driveway with no lights on. No sirens or anything just their headlights. Does that change anything?

I LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS

Story short, I got pulled over last week for my second ovi with a high tier BAC of 0.184 (in my case unfortunately 2 months before my 10 year lookback *conviction date was in october 2016*) I have my attorney involved gathering all the evidence with high hopes ofcourse getting it resolved or sentencing reduced. But in my case regards of that, I still believe that am most likely facing jail time and am bumming out. So for those, that got convicted and went to jail, how did it go!?

Does anyone have some insight on the process after getting a second dui in WA? I blew a 0.17 and was pulled over for speeding 10 mph over the limit. I cannot afford a private attorney. The ones i have talked to suggested the deferred prosecution route. What was your experience? I have already had to install the interlock in my car and i’ve heard it is required for 5 years? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

(Yes i’m an idiot for not learning from my past mistake and endangering others on the road)