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Driving under the influence (DUI) is the most common criminal offense in the Canada. Many conscientious drivers with otherwise clean records have been arrested for DUI and suddenly found their lives in a dizzying tailspin from which they could not pull out.

DUI convictions have major ramifications and some can linger for years. Most of us are aware of the short-term consequences, including temporary driver’s license suspension, fees and fines, high insurance premiums, court-mandated community service, participation in drunk driving education programs, and even jail time.

If this is the first time you have been charged with DUI (“Driving Under the Influence”), you are probably wondering what in-fact are the consequences. This is understandable; most people are unfamiliar with the Criminal Justice System until they become a part of it. A general overview of the consequences is as follows, but a more specific overview is provided in another sections of this site. DUI penalties, although different from state to state, tend to depend on whether you have been convicted of a similar offense in the past.

Consequences of DUI

The DUI penalties depend on whether you are convicted of similar offenses in the past. If this is your DUI first offense, you are expected to pay a huge fine. In many states, your license is suspended temporarily and it becomes mandatory for you to attend DUI educational classes. Other consequences are:

•If this is your second DUI offense, you will certainly face jail sentence, permanent license suspension, a hefty fine and/or court cases.

•Most employers prefer that their employees should have a clean driving record. So, if you have DUI records, chances are that you may lose your job and also have problem finding a new job.

•Those convicted for DUI driving also have to pay higher insurance premiums to their company. At times, the existing policy is also dropped under the drunk driving laws of a particular state.

•Other problems may occur, for example, DUI arrests can weaken an individual’s position in a custody battle, rental applications may get rejected and educational scholarships and loans may be denied.

•In countries such as Canada and some states in the US, immigration related rights may be denied or delayed.

Consulting a DUI attorney

DUI records can be disastrous for your future. But what should you do if you are convicted? You have a solution. The most important step is to consult a competent drunk driving attorney. There are criminal law firms that have specialized lawyers who handle DUI-specific cases. With the advent of the internet, finding the best Burlington DUI Attorney has become even simpler today.

Being a bail bondsman or woman means that you will bail a person out of jail when they are being held for a certain amount of money. When this amount of money is set, in some cases it is very difficult for individuals to come up with these large sums.

Some people have to borrow the money from loved ones and some people are not able to do that or get the money from anyone. The bail bondsmen will front this money in order for the person to get out of jail until their hearing time.

They are then responsible for paying back the bondsman and showing up for the hearing. In some cases if the person does not show up for the hearing, it is called jumping bond and they are them being looked for by the police.

So, what does a bail bondsman do? As the name suggests, the person is responsible for signing the bond for the bail for the accused person. The accused has to appear before a judge and the bail amount is set then. The accused then gets in touch with a bail bondsman, who then arranges for bail. A bail bondsman is a licensed professional with a good reputation. Both these things allow him or her to secure the bail for the accused. Besides the bail, the bondsman may also give the accused some legal advice.

In order to become a bails bondman, you need a license. Without the license it is impossible to get into this career. The application form the license is available at the office of the Department of Insurance for your state of residence. The office has a few criteria that the bondsman must fulfill and only then the license is given. This license is known as Limited Surety Agent’s license. A person interested in becoming a bail bondsman has to attend classes at a certified school to know the ins and outs of the bail process and the legalities involved. After this you can apply for the license.

The salary of the bondsman comes from the accused. Usually the amount that the bail bondsman gets is 10 to 15 percent of the bail amount. On an average, a bail bondsman earns anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 annually. However, this is not a job that any and everyone can do as it involves handling people accused of a crime and criminals.

Critical Considerations

The issue at a bail hearing isn’t the defendant’s guilt or innocence, but rather the likelihood that he or she will behave properly and return to court as necessary if released. Generally, the court may consider the apparent weight of the evidence against the accused. But this isn’t the primary consideration, and the judge isn’t normally supposed to make findings about the facts underlying the case.

Letting a Lawyer Handle It

If you have or someone you know has been arrested and is awaiting bail, consult an experienced criminal defense attorney. That lawyer will know the workings of the local bail system, both in and out of court.

And having a lawyer argue the issue of bail is a much better option than the defendant doing so. The lawyer can also arrange for the appropriate friends, family members, and associates to come to court. For example, a lawyer might arrange with a roommate to show up and attest that the suspect has a place to stay upon release.

White collar crimes describe a collection of non-violent offenses that are motivated by financial gain. These crimes are generally committed by business and government professionals. Although white collar crimes are a common occurrence in the modern world, prosecutors often find it difficult to hold perpetrators accountable for the crimes due to the use of sophisticated means of concealing their activities through a series of complex transactions.

Sentences Associated with White Collar Crimes

White collar crime penalties often include fines, home detention, community confinement, paying the cost of prosecution, forfeitures, restitution, supervised release, and imprisonment. The extent of white collar crime penalties vary greatly on the actual crime committed. Reduction of sentences is possible if the defendant takes responsibility for the crime and assists the authorities in their investigation.

The following is a breakdown of penalties for the most common white collar crimes.

If you have been accused of violating a federal white collar crime and would like legal assistance, contact a criminal defense lawyer  to ensure you are properly represented in your case.