If Alabama law enforcement officers accuse you of driving under the influence and arrest you for allegedly committing this crime, you have a serious situation on your hands. If convicted, not only could you face a substantial jail or prison incarceration, your conviction could stop your career dead in its tracks.
If you currently attend one of Alabama’s excellent colleges, universities or graduate schools with the intent of ultimately practicing in one of the professions, such as law, medicine, architecture, etc., you will need to obtain a professional license in order to fulfill your dream. A DUI conviction on your record, however, may well cause the licensing board to refuse to give you a license.
Nonprofessional employment
Even if you envision yourself pursuing a nonprofessional career path, your DUI conviction could still come back to haunt you when you go job hunting. Why? Because a background check by your prospective employers may bring to light some or all of the following negative information:
- The record from the court in which you received your conviction
- Your incarceration record from any jail or prison in which you served your conviction sentence
- The DMV record of your driving history from the state in which you received your DUI conviction
- The DMV record from any other state that suspended or revoked your driving privileges as a result of your DUI conviction
It goes without saying that you need not apply for any job requiring a commercial driver’s license if you receive a DUI conviction. It will preclude you from being able to obtain a CDL for possibly 10 years or longer, depending on whether it is your first conviction.
It also will make it difficult for you to obtain any other type of job. Prospective employers often view a DUI or any other criminal conviction as an indication that your character is less than good. In addition, it puts your judgment into question.