Criminal charges can result in very serious consequences for someone’s career, not the least of which could be the loss of their job. Compared to many other types of criminal activity, driving under the influence (DUI) infractions may not seem that severe, especially if no crash occurs while someone is driving while allegedly impaired.
However, like any other kind of criminal charge, a DUI can have a profound chilling effect on someone’s career and may even lead to the loss of their current job. Those arrested based on allegations of impaired driving in South Dakota may want to defend against the charges they’re facing as a means of hopefully protecting their professional future and income.
When might a DUI directly impact someone’s profession?
When they drive for a living
Those who have a commercial driver’s license must abide by a zero-tolerance policy for impaired driving offenses. Anyone convicted of a DUI charge will likely lose their commercial driver’s license (CDL). Not only do those who drive commercial vehicles need to follow a extra strict alcohol limit in commercial vehicles, but they also need to avoid infractions in their own vehicles, as they could lose their CDL for either offense.
Those who drive even some of the time for work, such as managers and sales professionals, may end up losing their jobs because they cannot perform important tasks when the state has suspended their personal driver’s license. Anyone in a profession that requires state licensing could find that a DUI conviction leads to licensing penalties.
When there is a zero-tolerance policy
Many employers have handbooks with rules that workers must follow if they want to keep their jobs. The wrong behavior off the clock, including criminal activity, good cost these professionals their jobs. When a company has a zero-tolerance policy for convictions during employment, an individual could lose their job if they plead guilty. Even if someone avoids disclosing their conviction to their employer, it could turn up during a background check when they apply for a promotion or a job elsewhere in the future.
Anyone convicted of a DUI offense may find that the charges have a profound impact on their current job and their future opportunities. Fighting back against South Dakota DUI charges may be the best option for those who are professionally ambitious and worried about their careers after a recent arrest.