I Have a Dui
Hello All,
I guess it's time for me to share my story. About a month ago I was visiting with a friend. It was a typical Friday night, a few drinks some jokes, and then the journey cross town home. I've done this a million times and never really given in a second thought. I got into my car and started driving home. I was about a mile away from my exit off of the highway and fumbling with my phone when I saw the light go up. I pulled over to the side of the road, the officer approached my vehicle and asked me if I had been drinking. I informed him that I had a few drinks and that I was fumbling with my phone. He asked me to step out of the vehicle.
I did, and he started to ask me to perform a FST. I informed him due to my medical condition that I could not adequately perform the nystagmus eye test. He then suggested the toe to toe walk the line. I asked him if I could tie my shoes first. He said that I could. I tied both of them and asked him for further instructions about the test. He did not trace a life on the ground for me to walk with his flashlight or use one of the lines painted on the side of the road. He also failed to inform me if a "pivot" in his mind constituted a spin move with one foot or if I was allowed to lift the second foot off the ground. He then asked me to blow into his PBT. I did and it came back at a .152. He then asked me to have a seat in his car. The stop was conducted at 11:05 PM. He asked if there was anything in my vehicle that I wanted before we headed to the station. There was something that I asked him to retrieve for me before we headed off. He did so and showed me it.
Sitting in the back of the car I thought to myself I just &^$^#@ up my life. We headed to the station where he tried to perform the implied consent notification before officially getting a reading of my BAC. I asked him for a pen and some paper so I could ask questions and take notes. I also informed him that I would like to speak to the attorney. I attempted to contact as many as I could but to no avail on a Friday night.
Stepping up to the machine at the Police station I was anxious and nervous. I kept thinking to myself that this was it. My entire life was about to be flushed down the toilet after I blew into this stupid device. I blew, and blew and blew some more but they could not get an adequate reading. The officer yelled at me about refusal and attempted to get me to blow in the machine again. So began round two. The machine went off, I blew, and blew and tried to blow some more and again I provided an inadequate sample. The office said upset at my inability to blow enough air into the machine asked if I would submit to a urine test. I consented and he took me to a bathroom.
I don't know about you, but I am not used to having someone stand behind me and watch as I try to pee. He handed me the cup and I stood there trying to go. I tried jumping up and down and flicking it to make it happen. I couldn't get a drop out. The officer again informed me that he could charge me with test refusal. I asked him if I could have a drink of water and he informed me that the human body didn't work that way.
He laughed to himself and told me that this was my lucky night and that he would take me to the hospital for a blood draw. My blood was taken at a hospital at 2:39 in the Morning. I was then taken back to the police station, booked, and held until 9:30 the next morning.
While in jail I felt guilt and shame. I thought about the repercussions of my actions with respect to future employment and what it meant for my future.
Upon my release I contacted my girlfriend, got my car out of the impound lot and contacted an attorney. I think that the worst part of this for me is the not knowing. I don't know what my attorney will be able to do for me. I don't know what my BAC content was from that night, I don't know what is the typical plea agreement that a first time DUI person gets in my state and I certainly don't know what the long term repercussions of this will be as I don't know what I am facing yet.
It has been a dark three weeks for me. I go to work, come home and feel depressed and sad. I see thousands of dollars worth of bills stacking up in the not too distant future and am concerned about how I will get everything paid. I worry about losing my job over this if they find out. The economy is in the S(&^^%$ and although I have a BA, I have little professional experience.
When I was released from custody an officer told me that it wasn't the end of the world. I didn't say anything to him but if I could go back I would. It is the end of My world. If convicted I will be branded as a menace to society for life. In my state the DUI stays on your record forever. For every future job application I will have to disclose that I had a lapse in judgment and although I did not damage any property or injure someone else it is a black mark on my record that shows a profound lack of judgement and stupidity. I am almost certain that it will prohibit me from advancing in my current career and disallow me from pursuing others.
What's more what if four years from now, after all of the court stuff is done, the fines paid, the license restored and probation over I have a lapse in judgement again? Because life has returned to some form of "normality" and things look up. The prospect of a second DUI is terrifying to me but that is the risk that I will take if I continue to consume alcohol moving forward from this point in my life.
Thank you for reading my post, comments of encouragement are welcomed.
Depressed and thinking my life is over.
I guess it's time for me to share my story. About a month ago I was visiting with a friend. It was a typical Friday night, a few drinks some jokes, and then the journey cross town home. I've done this a million times and never really given in a second thought. I got into my car and started driving home. I was about a mile away from my exit off of the highway and fumbling with my phone when I saw the light go up. I pulled over to the side of the road, the officer approached my vehicle and asked me if I had been drinking. I informed him that I had a few drinks and that I was fumbling with my phone. He asked me to step out of the vehicle.
I did, and he started to ask me to perform a FST. I informed him due to my medical condition that I could not adequately perform the nystagmus eye test. He then suggested the toe to toe walk the line. I asked him if I could tie my shoes first. He said that I could. I tied both of them and asked him for further instructions about the test. He did not trace a life on the ground for me to walk with his flashlight or use one of the lines painted on the side of the road. He also failed to inform me if a "pivot" in his mind constituted a spin move with one foot or if I was allowed to lift the second foot off the ground. He then asked me to blow into his PBT. I did and it came back at a .152. He then asked me to have a seat in his car. The stop was conducted at 11:05 PM. He asked if there was anything in my vehicle that I wanted before we headed to the station. There was something that I asked him to retrieve for me before we headed off. He did so and showed me it.
Sitting in the back of the car I thought to myself I just &^$^#@ up my life. We headed to the station where he tried to perform the implied consent notification before officially getting a reading of my BAC. I asked him for a pen and some paper so I could ask questions and take notes. I also informed him that I would like to speak to the attorney. I attempted to contact as many as I could but to no avail on a Friday night.
Stepping up to the machine at the Police station I was anxious and nervous. I kept thinking to myself that this was it. My entire life was about to be flushed down the toilet after I blew into this stupid device. I blew, and blew and blew some more but they could not get an adequate reading. The officer yelled at me about refusal and attempted to get me to blow in the machine again. So began round two. The machine went off, I blew, and blew and tried to blow some more and again I provided an inadequate sample. The office said upset at my inability to blow enough air into the machine asked if I would submit to a urine test. I consented and he took me to a bathroom.
I don't know about you, but I am not used to having someone stand behind me and watch as I try to pee. He handed me the cup and I stood there trying to go. I tried jumping up and down and flicking it to make it happen. I couldn't get a drop out. The officer again informed me that he could charge me with test refusal. I asked him if I could have a drink of water and he informed me that the human body didn't work that way.
He laughed to himself and told me that this was my lucky night and that he would take me to the hospital for a blood draw. My blood was taken at a hospital at 2:39 in the Morning. I was then taken back to the police station, booked, and held until 9:30 the next morning.
While in jail I felt guilt and shame. I thought about the repercussions of my actions with respect to future employment and what it meant for my future.
Upon my release I contacted my girlfriend, got my car out of the impound lot and contacted an attorney. I think that the worst part of this for me is the not knowing. I don't know what my attorney will be able to do for me. I don't know what my BAC content was from that night, I don't know what is the typical plea agreement that a first time DUI person gets in my state and I certainly don't know what the long term repercussions of this will be as I don't know what I am facing yet.
It has been a dark three weeks for me. I go to work, come home and feel depressed and sad. I see thousands of dollars worth of bills stacking up in the not too distant future and am concerned about how I will get everything paid. I worry about losing my job over this if they find out. The economy is in the S(&^^%$ and although I have a BA, I have little professional experience.
When I was released from custody an officer told me that it wasn't the end of the world. I didn't say anything to him but if I could go back I would. It is the end of My world. If convicted I will be branded as a menace to society for life. In my state the DUI stays on your record forever. For every future job application I will have to disclose that I had a lapse in judgment and although I did not damage any property or injure someone else it is a black mark on my record that shows a profound lack of judgement and stupidity. I am almost certain that it will prohibit me from advancing in my current career and disallow me from pursuing others.
What's more what if four years from now, after all of the court stuff is done, the fines paid, the license restored and probation over I have a lapse in judgement again? Because life has returned to some form of "normality" and things look up. The prospect of a second DUI is terrifying to me but that is the risk that I will take if I continue to consume alcohol moving forward from this point in my life.
Thank you for reading my post, comments of encouragement are welcomed.
Depressed and thinking my life is over.
By:
jdmn85
Age:
26-30
5
responses
