Are There Alternative Punishments for DUI Convictions in Georgia?

The short answer is yes! There are a multitude of options available to you other than jail time. Our team of Gainesville DUI Lawyers know how to negotiate alternative sentences to best meet your needs. Some of the alternative punishments are listed below but please reach out if you have any questions. Every case is different and every person's needs are different so let us craft the perfect defense and solution for you! Call now for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.

Types of Alternative Punishments for DUI in Georgia

• Fines
• Probation
• Community Service
• Clinical Evaluation
• Completion of Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program (DUI School)
• MADD Victim Impact Panel

Work Release

If you are going to receive some jail time, our Hall County DUI Lawyers can try to negotiate a work release, home confinement, or an alternative monitoring system to avoid going to jail.

Work release allows people who are serving time in jail to continue working. Members of the program are released to go to work and must report back right after work. You must have transportation to work, and you must return to the work release lock-up facility on time, every day. If you fail to return on time, you will be charged with a felony. In addition, while on work release, you will not get any “good time credit” and you will serve every day of your sentence.

Home confinement or house arrest generally requires that a SCRAM bracelet or ankle monitor be worn at all times. You are required to remain at your home and are only allowed to leave for scheduled working hours, medical appointments, or school. Other monitoring systems may also be used such as a MEMS monitoring device that does not require you to wear an ankle monitor. The device plugs into a power outlet and is scheduled to sound an alarm at various times of day when you are required to be home. If the alarm sounds, you are required to blow into the device, which takes your picture and tests the sample for alcohol and submits the results to your probation officer.

DUI Court

DUI court is a 12-24 month program for those who have multiple violations of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Participation in DUI court is encouraged through incentives given to participants including reduced jail sentences, fine amounts, and community service.

Inpatient Treatment

Lastly, inpatient treatment can be used in lieu of jail time. If a defendant is serious about his recovery and spends several weeks or months at a treatment facility, that time can sometimes be used to decrease jail time in serious cases.

There are several excellent programs in the Metro-Atlanta area and throughout Georgia. From a legal perspective, when a person attends treatment it shows the judge and the prosecutor that they are far less likely to become a recidivist. As a result, they will generally give a person a lesser punishment, since part of the purpose of punishment is specific deterrence. However, because part of punishment is to deter others, or general deterrence, there will still be some punishment, even after a person has completed a treatment program.

Contact Us Today

There is hope for you if charged with DUI in Georgia. Our Hall County DUI Lawyers have the experience you need to be successful. We will work hard to get the results you deserve because we understand the stress and difficulties convictions can bring. Our goal is to protect your rights, freedom, and future. Contact our DUI Attorneys in Gainesville today to discover your options.