How much does it cost to get a DUI conviction?
December 16, 2010 by admin
Filed under West Valley Detention News
Q: Retired Riverside City College professor Cecil Green was surprised to hear someone describe the cost of a DUI ticket as about $1,300 — and somebody else doubt it was that much.
“The ticket is bad enough,” Green said, but there are other related, less obvious, costs. “It would do the county and people a service if you’d explain the cost of a drinking-and-driving ticket.”
A: Most of the financial impact from a DUI stems from a conviction, though the arrest will cost even if a case ends in acquittal. It’s nearly impossible to predict the cost of a conviction because many factors — including insurance premiums and attorney’s fees — vary with the individual, location and circumstances.
Here’s an idea of the hit someone’s wallet could take if they’re arrested in the state on a DUI charge.
When arrested, a person’s driver’s license is confiscated, they’re jailed and their vehicle is impounded. The bond to get out of jail before trial costs from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, according to Insurance Information Network of California. If one doesn’t have that, using a bail bondsman generally costs 10 percent of the total bond. To retrieve a car, one must pay the cost of towing it from the arrest site to the local impound lot and pay the storage fee. Together these will cost at least $250, according to the network. To get back a license at the end of the revocation period, one must pay a $125 reissue fee to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Court fees vary by jurisdiction. Legal websites say that hiring an attorney will cost from $500 to $10,000, depending on the case and the attorney.
Those who are convicted must pay a fine ($390 to $1,000), have their license suspended for six months and complete an anti-DUI education program at their expense. The classes cost $240 to $3,400 depending on the program and the number of offenses, according to www.shouse.law’s online guide to California DUI schools.
The DUI conviction won’t please auto insurance companies, which will raise premiums or drop coverage when one’s next renewal period comes up.
“A DUI is visible on your record for 10 years,” said Tim Gaspar, of Gaspar Insurance Services, Encino. It’s a major violation, and in California counts as two points on your driving record, he said.
Auto insurers use points to gauge how safe one’s driving is and how much to charge.
“Although the points fall off your record after three years, insurance companies do not return your good-driver discounts (typically 15 to 20 percent) until the 10 years are up,” said Gaspar, who added that a DUI will make a driver ineligible for some insurers.
Even someone with a previously perfect driving record may see their premium increase by at least 25 percent after a DUI, Gaspar said. If there is more than one vehicle or driver on a policy, the DUI can spike the rate for the whole policy, Gaspar said.
If dropped by an insurer, one must find new insurance, because the DUI conviction will require an SR-22 form, a California Proof of Insurance Certificate, with the DMV (the form costs $15 to $25).
The SR-22 means that if one drops insurance coverage, the DMV will invalidate the license.
DUI sentences vary from 96 hours to six months, depending on the number of convictions. The period of license suspension gets longer with additional convictions. An ignition interlock device could be installed to monitor a driver’s blood-alcohol level and prevent the car from starting if the level registers too high. If required, one must pay for the device’s installation ($50 to $200, according to ignitioninterlockdevice.org), monthly rental ($50 to $100 per month) and maintenance and data downloads.
It’s difficult to pinpoint how much a DUI conviction costs, but it’s likely to be far more than the $1,300 that Green’s acquaintance predicted.
By MAURA AMMENHEUSER
Special to The Press-Enterprise
We Can Come to You
January 15, 2010 by admin
Filed under Get Bail Now
Abierto 24/7 Bail Bonds makes it easy by doing most bails over the phone and fax machine, or we can come to you thus saving you the time and embarrassment of going to one of our bail bond offices. Discretion and the privacy of our customers is very important to us. Great care is taken to insure you are very comfortable and are well informed on every step of the bail bond process.
