DWI Has Serious Consequences for Professionals in N.J.

KellyK
May 1, 2013

Getting a DWI conviction may create issues in several areas of your life, and it may also provide your employer with a reason to terminate you. In fact, most employers have a clause in their employee handbook that prohibits you from getting a DWI or engaging in a long list of other illegal activities. Unfortunately, it does not matter if you are on the clock when an arrest occurs. Even if you are not terminated, you might end up dealing with several complications in your professional life.

Consequences in Your Profession

Pilots – If you are a pilot and you are convicted of a DWI, it is very likely that you will lose your license to fly. Therefore, it is imperative that you avoid driving while you are intoxicated. However, if you are charged with a drunk diving offense, contact a New Jersey DWI lawyer to get your charges dismissed and reclaim your life.

School Teachers – Any teacher who gets a DWI will be setting a bad example for their students, and this could result with the school board deciding not to renew the teacher’s contract. Even if you are able to keep your position, you might end up dealing with tenure related issues.

Military Personnel – The military takes DWI charges very seriously, and you will face consequences that will hurt your career regardless of whether or not you actually end up convicted of the crime. For example, you might lose the ability to drive on the base for up to a year, and you can also receive a dishonorable discharge. Additionally, your rank might be lowered, you might lose some of your base privileges and even receive additional punishments.

Government Employees – If you work for the government, you might end up being put through a security clearance review to determine whether or not you have a serious issue with alcohol or drugs. If the results of the review indicate that you might be an alcoholic or drug addict, the government can fire you on the basis that you have become a national security threat.

Consequences in General Life

Insurance Issues – If you have to drive as a condition of your employment, it will be difficult for the company that you work for to justify not terminating you. After all, if they keep you on staff, their insurance will probably skyrocket. Therefore, you are most likely going to lose your job even if you only drive occasionally while you are on the clock.

Credit Issues – Most credit bureaus will place your DWI conviction on your credit report, and this can keep you from getting a job. Although it was not a common practice a decade ago, most large employers will now run a credit check as part of their background search on each of their perspective employees. The odds are high that an employer will opt to select another candidate if they see that you have a DWI on your record. Even though this might not seem fair, especially if the DWI was several years ago, this is the reality of the business world.

The best way that you can avoid dealing with any of these potential consequences is to ensure that you never drive when you are under the influence. However, if you are arrested for a DWI, you should contact a lawyer immediately to help protect your legal rights.

A paralegal who stays on top of the latest DWI laws, Kelly Kovacic writes articles to inform others of their rights. If you are facing DWI charges you should contact a lawyer for professional help. The New Jersey DWI lawyer team from Levow & Associates has expertise and years of experience to help anyone facing these devastating charges.