EMPLOYMENT AND IMMIGRATION CONSEQUENCES OF A VENTURA DUI
Beyond jail time and the other specific requirements of your sentence, there are additional potentially significant and long-term consequences of facing charges or conviction for a Ventura DUI. These include consequences relating to employment; and, for non-citizens, relating to your immigration status. Attorney David Lehr has helped numerous individuals facing DUI charges in Ventura County, and he will work with you personally to try to minimize the consequences of your Ventura DUI.
WHAT DOES A VENTURA DUI MEAN FOR MY CURRENT EMPLOYMENT?
When handled appropriately, in many cases your current employer will not need to find out about your DUI.
When you are arrested, the police will confiscate your driver’s license and give you a temporary license that is valid for thirty days. By timely requesting a DMV hearing, you can obtain an extension of your temporary license until the DMV hearing actually occurs. Oftentimes we are successful in protecting our clients’ driving rights at DMV hearings, meaning that you never actually lose the ability to drive.
If you do lose your driving privileges, we can help you seek a restricted license that will allow you to drive to and from your place of work.
As far as jail time, for a standard first-time DUI conviction you will likely face a sentence of forty-eight hours. You can elect to serve your time over the weekend (from 7:00pm Friday to 7:00pm Sunday) so that it does not interfere with your work schedule. For jail sentences over thirty days, we can help you seek work furlough, which allows you to go to work during the day and serve you nights in custody.
WHAT DOES A VENTURA DUI MEAN FOR MY FUTURE EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS?
A DUI conviction will remain on your criminal record indefinitely, unless you seek to have your record expunged. It will show up in criminal background checks; and, if an employer asks, you will be required to disclose your conviction.
You have the option to seek expungement of your conviction as soon as you complete the terms of your probation. With an expungement, your conviction is officially reversed, meaning that you can lawfully tell employers that you have never been convicted of a DUI. Your former conviction also will no longer show up on private employers’ criminal background checks; although, it will continue to appear in government databases if you apply for public employment.
WHAT ARE THE IMMIGRATION CONSEQUENCES OF A VENTURA DUI?
A California DUI arrest can have significant consequences for the immigration status of both legal and illegal aliens. Although less common in “standard” cases (first offenses not involving an accident, illegal drugs or an extreme BAC), for illegal aliens a DUI arrest can trigger an immigration hold, which can ultimately lead to removal (deportation) by ICE.
For lawful permanent residents (green card holders) and other legal aliens, a standard DUI is not likely to affect your immigration status. However, felony DUIs and DUIs involving serious accidents can lead to both deportation and eventual denial of an application for citizenship. If you are already subject to pending removal proceedings, a serious DUI conviction can also prevent you from obtaining cancellation of removal.
Free Consultation with a Ventura DUI Lawyer
To learn more about the employment or immigration consequences of a Ventura DUI, contact Strongest Defense today. Located in Ventura, we serve clients in Camarillo, Oxnard and throughout Ventura County.
