If you have a Kansas DUI, you may already be aware that it cannot be expunged from your record until ten years after you complete your sentence or probation. Ten years is quite a long time to wait, especially taking into account the fact that a DUI conviction on your record can impact your life in a number of negative ways.
Fortunately, a bill which has just passed the House and is headed to the Senate for review may cut that waiting period in half. House Bill 2662 would enable people with DUI convictions to expunge them from their criminal records five years after completing their sentences or probation. The bill is being promoted as a jobs bill, because of the way that DUI convictions affect people’s ability to find work. Proponents of the bill say that their goal in reducing the wait time for expunction is to enable people to get back to work sooner. In the case of young people who get a DUI in high school or college, House Bill 2662 would reduce the time that they would have to wait to get their careers off of the ground after they graduate. People who oppose the bill claim that reducing the waiting period would minimize the seriousness of the crime of driving while intoxicated. However, the reduction in the waiting period does not affect any of the fines, penalties, or sentences which may be imposed upon drivers who are convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Difficulties in finding employment are not the only hardships that people who are convicted of DUI deal with for as long as their convictions stay on their records. Drivers who are convicted of driving under the influence while they are in high school may find it difficult to get into college, even if their grades and other qualifications are outstanding. For college and graduate students who are already working towards a career in a field like education, law, or medicine, which require professional licenses from the state, a DUI could stand in the way of obtaining a license or getting a job.
Criminal background checks were not always associated with finding housing, but more and more landlords are performing them as they evaluate potential tenants. A DUI on your record can, therefore, affect your ability to find housing. Landlords are not the only ones doing background checks. Volunteer organizations are now screening potential volunteers, and a criminal background check is often part of the screening process.
Your DUI may affect your personal freedom if it is a felony conviction. Your rights to vote, travel, and possess firearms may be taken away. If you are not a United States citizen, you may even be deported.
House Bill 2662 will have a positive impact on the lives of people who have been convicted of driving under the influence if it passes the Senate. However, the best possible outcome for a DUI arrest is not to be convicted at all. If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, you can give yourself the best chance of avoiding a DUI conviction by retaining a knowledgeable Kansas DUI defense attorney.
If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, it is essential that you seek the assistance of an experienced Kansas DUI defense attorney. The short and long term consequences of a DUI conviction can have far-reaching effects on your life. To learn more about how a Kansas DUI Defense Attorney can help you with your DUI case, please call the Wichita office of Cummings & Cummings, LLC today at (316) 264-1548.