DWI Penalties in Alaska
Reader’s Question:
My brother needs to be prepared of what’s going to happen after being arrested for DWI in Alaska. What are the penalties that he could have if he gets convicted and how does the hearing with the DMV work?
April
Anchorage, AK
After your brother’s DWI arrest in Alaska, it would potentially spark two separate cases. The first one is the DWI criminal offense which is the case that would determine how much he would pay for the crime, including possible jail time. He would also face an administrative hearing with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) if he refused to take the blood alcohol test or if the test showed that he was intoxicated. This hearing would decide if he can continue to drive in the state of Alaska. He definitely has the right to plead his case at this hearing, but he should request the hearing within seven days of his arrest or he would automatically lose his license. The hearing would also give him a chance to set forth evidence that might lessen his license suspension time.
Since this is your brother’s first DWI offense, if he will be convicted, he can expect to have punishments which include fines of $250 to $5,000, alcohol education and treatment that cost $20 to $150, community service of 24 hours and 72 hours to one year of jail time.
Alaska DUI Drivers License Suspension?
Reader’s Question:
I was surprised that the police officer immediately confiscated my driver’s license after I was arrested for DUI in Alaska. Isn’t that they have to prove that I was guilty first before they punish me, so how can they do that if I was presumed to be innocent?
Maiya
Anchorage, AK
Unfortunately, that should always be the case in a DUI arrest in Anchorage, Alaska. The Department of Motor Vehicles is actually required by law to immediately suspend the driver’s license of anyone arrested for DUI who has a .08% blood alcohol content, takes a blood or urine test that will be analyzed later or refuses to take any test. The driver’s license is taken on the spot and the DUI suspension is legally effective the moment the police officer signs the notice and hands it to you.
If we view it in another way, the police officer in a drunk driving case is constable, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner and anyone has absolutely no rights. As a matter of fact, if you took a blood or urine test, they don’t even wait for the results (which will come back from the lab days later). Not only they presume you guilty, they also presume that the evidence will eventually show it.
I Need To Find an Anchorage Alaska DUI Lawyer
Reader’s Question:
I wanna help my father get out of his DUI charge in Alaska. He has a good driving record over the years and it’s hard to believe that he was caught drunk driving. How will a DUI lawyer help him in his situation?
Francine
Anchorage, AK
There are a lot of things that a DUI lawyer can do for your father to help him on his DUI charge. The DUI lawyer can help him out on his Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) hearing to fight for his driver’s license. He must request this hearing within seven days of arrest and the DUI lawyer could be able to guide him on this.
Chemical tests or blood alcohol tests are not always right and the DUI lawyer knows several ways to find out the inaccuracy of the blood alcohol tests. And in doing so, the DUI lawyer could be able to successfully challenge the blood alcohol test results. Experienced DUI lawyers can actually get the maintenance records for the equipment used in the testing. They can also find out the results for the other persons who were tested around the time your father was tested. He has to be prepared, too because no defense is ready unless he is taught how to present himself on the witness stand.
Cheap Alaska DUI SR22 Auto Insurance
Reader’s Question:
My brother has a DUI conviction . He is asking me to help him out on finding cheap SR22 auto insurance. Why does he need this and will we be able to find SR22 auto insurance here in Alaska without paying an arm and a leg?
Jude
Anchorage, AK
Let me explain first why your brother needs SR22 auto insurance. This is commonly referred to as a certificate of financial responsibility or high risk car insurance. The mere fact that your brother has a DUI conviction in Anchorage, Alaska makes this a requirement as a proof of financial responsibility. The SR22 form provides a guarantee of insurance by the company your brother has purchased it from. This supplies the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with the guarantee that even though he is a high risk driver, he at least carries the state mandated minimum limits of coverage. Further, it is essential that your brother does not allow this type of policy to lapse. The insurance company is required to immediately notify the DMV if it does lapse, and the DMV will immediately suspend your brother’s license until the insurance is reinstated.
To find SR22 auto or high risk car insurance, your brother can first check with his current insurance company to see if they can file it for him. If his insurance company does not offer that service or he does not have current insurance, time to start his comparison search. Finding SR22 auto insurance is easy with just a click of the mouse. There are a lot of insurance companies which offer this online. No need to worry, comparing car insurance rates from top companies against each other is an easy way to find a cheap rate and still get the coverage that you need.