Honolulu DUI Defense 

If this is the first DUI or OVUII charge you are facing in Hawaii, it's possible you may be able to avoid jail time, but you could also be:

• Fined up to $1,000;
• Be assessed additional court costs;
• Lose your driver's license for a year or more;
• Be court-ordered to perform community service;
• Be court-ordered to undergo an alcohol assessment and treatment;
• Live with a permanent criminal record, potentially derailing your career;
• Be at risk of losing other professional licenses

License and permit complications or penalties:

• Revocation of your driver's license.
• Loss of special commercial license endorsements (CDL).
• Mandatory purchase of special car insurance that includes proof of insurance component.
• Installation of Ignition Interlock Device (IID) in any vehicle driven or owned – effectively stops you from using any car but your own.
• Revocation or suspension of certain professional and occupational licenses, such as those held by certain physicians.
• Restriction on how you can obtain special permits, licenses, or benefits that require finding that you have good moral character, such as concealed firearm carry permit, serving as a foster parent, or participating in low-income food and housing programs.

Mandatory education, rehabilitation, or training penalties:

• Participation in DUI prevention education program for a period of 3 to 30 months.
• Participation in driver safety class.
• Participation in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings.
• Residential Treatment Program – more commonly called “going to rehab” – for a month or longer.

Penalties that will impact you financially:

• Fines ordered to be paid to the state as a criminal punishment.
• Paying for a criminal defense lawyer, or reimbursing the government for a court-appointed lawyer, and payment or reimbursement of other trial-related expenses.
• Cancellation of or increase in cost of automotive insurance.
• Denial of employment, loss of promotion, or loss of job.
• Damage to person or property from an accident caused by driving while intoxicated with attendant liability.

Penalties that restrict your freedom or mobility:

• Jail or prison time sentenced by the judge upon conviction.
• Community service that may be as long as 72 hours (first-time conviction).
• Electronic monitoring – anklets, bracelets, phone apps, etc. – so the government knows where you are at all times.
• Probation with terms that could include abstaining from alcohol, staying away from businesses that primarily sell alcohol, restriction on contact with other probationers, and waiver of Fourth Amendment right.

Problems impacting your status:

• Involuntary separation from military service, or dishonorable discharge.
• Court-Martial, Non-Judicial Punishment, Captain’s Mast, etc.
• Restrictions on travel and ban from entry to some foreign countries.
• Delay or denial in obtaining U.S. citizenship.
• Loss of top secret clearance, which can impact current and future employment, income, and reputation among numerous government branches and agencies.

Personal problems that can arise due to DUI conviction:

• Strain on marriage and relationships with friends and family.
• Suspension from school, delaying your graduation, interrupting your education, or the reduction of student grants or loans.
• Depression triggered by the numerous penalties and the feeling of being judged.
• Increase in health problems and a decrease in sleeping hours from stress and anxiety.
• Decline in productivity at work due to depression, anxiety, insomnia, etc.
• Modification of family law child custody orders that reduce your contact with your children.
• Creation of public record of arrest or conviction and its disclosure to friends, family, and neighbors, which may cause embarrassment, loss of reputation, denial of participation in youth sports, withdrawal of marriage proposals, and so on.