Three Types Of Community Service That May Be Appropriate After A DUI Arrest
Fighting your recent DUI charge might be your initial mindset, but once you've hired a DUI attorney and reviewed the strong evidence against you, it may be a bad idea to attempt to get the charge dismissed. A better idea could be to plead guilty to the charge and ask for a lenient sentence, such as community service. This outcome is likely for a first-time offense, and it doesn't hurt if you and your DUI attorney can also come up with some types of community service that you're willing to do. Making your community service related to driving under the influence of alcohol can be especially enticing for the judge to accept.
Speaking To A Youth Group
One of the ways that you may wish to serve your community as a type of sentencing for a DUI conviction is to speak to youths about the dangers of alcohol. Doing so will definitely take some courage, but if you can present your desire to serve the community in this way, the judge may be inclined to grant your request — and not hand down other forms of sentencing. You and your attorney can likely come up with a few suitable candidates, whether it's a class at a local school or youths in a service club.
Volunteering For A Driving Service
In many communities, there are driving services that become available around the holidays. Regular drivers use their own vehicles to help revelers get home safely after they've been drinking. If the holidays are fast approaching and such a service operates in your area, you can tell the judge that you'll volunteer as a driver for as many hours as he or she deems necessary to demonstrate your contrition to the community. In this role, you'll be helping to keep people safe on the roads, as well as prevent other motorists from making the same mistake as you.
Cleaning Up Empty Bottles
Cleaning community areas can often be a form of community service, but with a little creativity, you can focus this type of effort to relate to your DUI charge. For example, pitch the idea of cleaning up empty alcohol bottles from along roadways, in community parks, and other local areas in which they're prevalent. Doing so can help to keep alcohol out of people's minds, as they won't constantly be seeing bottles and cans as they walk and drive. You might even state how you can donate the funds from these bottles and cans to a national charity that helps families of those who have been affected by drunk driving.
For more information on asking for a community service sentence for your DUI charge, contact a DUI attorney like Winston C. Throgmorton, Attorney At Law.