No, DUI is not a felony charge and conviction will not result in a loss of any constitutional rights, though you’ll pay hefty fees and fines and lose your driver’s license for a while.
In New Jersey, DUI isn’t even considered a criminal charge, so instead of having a rap sheet, a DUI conviction will appear on your driving abstract.
If you’re a first offender, you may not spend any time in jail, you won’t have a criminal record, and you won’t lose your right to vote or own firearms or lose access to public services.
That said, a DUI conviction poses all sorts of problems. You’ll be paying big surcharges to the state for several years, plus fees and fines, and you won’t be able to drive for months at least.
You’ll have to attend mandatory programs at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC), and your insurance rates will go through the roof, assuming you can keep your policy at all.
You can avoid these problems, but only by beating the charges.
Your best bet to do that is to work with an experienced New Jersey DUI attorney.
Matthew Reisig has helped more than 1,000 New Jersey drivers avoid conviction on DUI charges.
Call 732-625-9660 today and talk to a lawyer for free.
