Your College Student Has Just Been Charged With A DWI: Proactive Steps To Provide Real Help
Going off to college is a time of change and adventure in every young adult's life. For some, the additional freedom they experience from living on their own for the first time can lead to poor decisions that can have a detrimental effect on their future. Choosing to drink and drive is an example of a poor decision that many college students make and regret.
Parent's who get that late-night call telling them their college student has just been arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol will have to decide how they will respond. In this situation, a parent's first thought may be that leaving the child to deal with the problem on their own would teach them a valuable lesson.
While that thought process can be understandable, failing to support your child during this type of situation can have far-reaching effects on both your relationship and the child's future. If you are a parent who has just awakened to this type of call, this information will offer you some proactive ways in which you can provide real help to your child, both now and in the future.
Contact an attorney immediately
The first step, especially if your child is attending school in another city or state at the time of the DWI arrest, is to contact an attorney from that area who specializes in DWI cases as quickly as possible. An expert DWI attorney will be best able to successfully navigate their local court system to expedite the bonding process and look for possible options for having the charges reduced.
Attorneys who specialize in driving while intoxicated (DWI) and driving under the influence (DUI) have investigators on staff who can interview witnesses, gather evidence and look for any irregularities in the vehicle stop or arrest process that could allow the charge to be reduced or thrown out.
Take steps to minimize the damage
Parents can also help their child by advising them to remove any mentions of the incident from social media and to refrain from discussing the arrest or associated events with anyone other than parents and the child's attorney. Many colleges, universities and employers routinely monitor social media accounts of their students and have been known to use that information to withdraw privileges, limit advancement, or cancel job offers.
Insist upon treatment or counseling to prevent future problems
While dealing with their child's current DWI arrest is sure to be the first priority, parents must also use the event to insist that their child complete treatment or counseling to prevent similar problems from arising in the future.
Talk to an attorney to arrange for a DWI defense.