NOTHING can ruin a good night of fun on the town like being handcuffed and fingerprinted. It’s much easier to nurse a hangover when you’re not handcuffed to a chair at the Hedding Street jail. The booking photographs are generally unflatteringly lit and don’t look good in a Facebook album.
As with most forms of education these days, DUIs have gotten expensive as well. Between court costs, bail bond, lawyers and higher car insurance rates, a garden variety deuce runs at least 10 grand. I think you’ll agree with me that that kind of money can be better spent on one of those hip-hop-style watches encrusted with diamonds, a set of microprocessor-controlled LED-illuminated wheel rims or a dream vacation on Fiji’s Turtle Island.
When conducting the cost-benefit analysis to “I can make it home” after the third Irish car bomb, it’s worth remembering that there are cheaper and convenient alternatives to a DUI. Calling a cab or having a sober friend drive you home are among the more financially prudent choices. If you think it’s embarrassing to have to ask someone for a ride, try carrying around the automatically issued, pink, 8-1/2-by-11-inch “Order of Suspension/Temporary Driver’s License” instead of your confiscated wallet-size driver’s license for a month. Or having to fish your credit card out of a possessions bag to pay for lunch the next day. Now that’s embarrassing.
Even people who know all this sometimes make mistakes though. Should you flunk a field sobriety test and be hauled in, it’s important to line up your professional team.
The first decision to make is whether to seek release on “own recognizance.” An official at the jail interviews inmates to determine whether they’re likely to appear at trial if released and prepares a recommendation for the judge. The good part about this is that you may not have to spend money to get out. The downside is that you’ll have to answer a bunch of personal questions. “This information may be accessible to investigators,” cautions Buffy Osti of Buffy/Sparacino Bail Bonds, a San Jose firm that’s been bailing out locals for more than 60 years. A bond firm can shorten the jail stay and keep information private, though it usually costs 10 percent of the bail amount.
The other key decision is which lawyer to use, or whether to go it alone. “Santa Clara County takes DUI arrests very seriously, particularly for multiple offenders,” says veteran criminal attorney and former prosecutor Steve Clark. “There are many long-term aspects to a DUI conviction: Insurance, driver’s license suspensions, custody time and potentially time in jail. So it’s important, even if you think you don’t have a defense, to consult with an attorney experienced in the area to guide you through the process.”
The best defense, of course, is prevention, which means lining up a transportation option before having a second drink. A taxi home after a night of clubbing is the best strategy to ensure that an enjoyable night out ends that way.
