103Views
It takes years of study, years of practice, and thousands of dollars to obtain a professional license in the state of Georgia. For many of us, a professional license is the backbone of our career – whether you are a hardworking nurse at a Fulton County hospital, a kindergarten teacher in the metro school system, or an ambitious real estate professional working the metro area. When caught and charged with driving drunk, the first concern is likely going to prison and paying fines. But the worst part of a DUI charge is the silent damage done that can immediately threaten to end the career you have spent years earning. One bad decision on a Friday lunch break can lead to disastrous consequences with your state licensing entity.
The seemingly endless snare begins well before any trial. The Georgia Board of Nursing, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the Georgia Real Estate Commission have extremely stringent reporting policies about arrests and convictions. Many people are not aware that it is their legal responsibility to self-report an arrest for DUI to their professional board within a few days or weeks, even if they have not yet been convicted. Failure to report the arrest is often considered an ethical breach and a completely separate reason for severe disciplinary measures, adding to the panic. It’s at this point that a highly experienced Atlanta DUI Lawyer can best advise you about how to complete your reporting obligations to the board without inadvertently providing them with ammunition against you.
After the board has been given notice, they will most likely begin their own independent investigation into your character and suitability to practice. It is not a waiting game to see how the criminal case plays out; they are assessing whether your actions may be a risk to the public. DUI convictions can lead to professional penalties ranging from required alcohol abuse monitoring and public reprimands, to the suspension or permanent loss of your professional license. If you want to safeguard your livelihood you need an aggressive Atlanta DUI Attorney who knows how to cleverly navigate your criminal case in order to prepare for the board review. The ultimate goal is to have the charges dismissed outright or to get a non-DUI conviction, which has less of a stigma, and helps to increase your odds for success in the hands of an ethics committee.
If you are a Commercial Driver’s License holder, the stakes are even higher and there is no room for error. Georgia law is extremely punitive to CDL holders. You may have only been driving your personal car and on your day off, but if arrested and convicted of a DUI, you will lose your commercial driving privileges immediately. That means you have immediately lost your livelihood and you cannot simply apply for a work permit to drive a commercial vehicle. Given the strict administrative and criminal penalties for commercial drivers, it is not just important to enlist the services of a fierce and aggressive DUI Attorney Atlanta drivers trust, but also critical for preserving the entire course of your professional career in the face of a single traffic encounter.
When you are facing the prospect of destroying your reputation, livelihood, and career aspirations, you cannot afford to leave your fate up to the district attorney. You need to be preemptive, assertive and fiercely defensive. You need a prosecutor who will challenge the officer’s probable cause to arrest, question every piece of forensic evidence, and craft a compelling case to protect your good reputation. By hiring a world-class DUI Lawyer Atlanta courts respect, you are buying a bulletproof vest that will protect your reputation and your ability to earn a living. Don’t ruin a lifetime of achievement due to a night of bad judgment; you need the very best legal representation to save your career and your way of life.
