Just a generation ago the laws relating to drunk driving were considerably more lenient and were often haphazardly enforced. Today, drunk driving laws across the nation are far from lenient and law enforcement agencies go to great lengths to enforce them. If you have been arrested for driving under the influence in Omaha you face a variety of serious consequences, many of which will continue to impact your life years after your actual conviction.
Omaha has a basic DUI law and an aggravated DUI law. A simple DUI is one in which you had a blood/breath alcohol concentration, or BAC, of over 0.08 but less than 0.15. If you are convicted of a first-time simple DUI conviction in Nebraska you face anywhere from seven to 60 days in jail, a six month license suspension and a $500 fine. The court will require you to install an ignition interlock device, or IID. An IID tests for alcohol on your breath. Before starting your vehicle you are required to blow into the IID. If the device registered alcohol your vehicle will not start. If you are required to install an IID you will also need to pay for the device. As a first-time offender the court may grant you probation in lieu of jail time and the lengthier license suspension. If so, you will still face a license revocation of 60 days and be required to install an IID.
If you are charged with and convicted of the more serious aggravated DUI in Omaha, the penalties for a first-time DUI are significantly increased. The penalties for an aggravated first-time DUI include up to 60 days in jail and the $500 fine but the potential license suspension is increased to a year. Although you may also receive probation in lieu of the longer potential jail sentence, you will still face a sentence of two days in jail and a one year license suspension. In addition, you will need to install the IID for the length of your license suspension.
The judicially imposed DUI penalties in Omaha are serious and costly; however, the non-judicial penalties may be worse. An Omaha DUI conviction can cause you insurance rates to increase dramatically for many years to come, may cause you to lose employment opportunities, and can impact your visitation with minor children in some cases.
If you have been arrested and charged with an Omaha DUI offense it should be taken seriously from the moment of your arrest given the numerous and varied penalties you face if convicted.