Unlike some parts of a person's past a criminal or drunk driving record is hard to leave behind. Legal records for such matters can stay with a person for decades, making it difficult for the person to find jobs, get loans and other necessary life events. They even follow a person over state lines, as one man recently discovered.
The man had been previously convicted of a drunk driving charge in Wisconsin when he was caught in another state on suspicions of operating while intoxicated. He allegedly left the scene of a car accident but an accident witness tracked him down and reported his car's license plate to law enforcement authorities. According to reports, the cops then discovered that the man was driving on a revoked license and his prior DUI charges across state lines.
He was arrested for all of the mentioned alleged infractions and his bond was set at $30,000. This sum may seem high given the charges brought against him but compounded with his record the court may have felt that a high bond was warranted. A bond is the amount of money a person must put up to a court or private agency to ensure that he will return for his scheduled court appearances.
A bond is a precursor fee that allows a person to await the individual's court time outside of jail. However, if people are convicted of the charges brought against them, then they can face other serious penalties such as additional incarceration time and higher court fees. This man may face significant penalties given the fact he is facing multiple charges and the fact that he has a drunk driving record.
People cannot escape their records. They can only try harder to avoid the conduct that gets them into legal trouble. However not everyone is perfect and mistakes are made. In these cases, people need to know their legal rights.
Source: The Freeport Journal-Standard, "Freeport man charged with DUI, leaving scene of accident," Shannon Ireland, May 8, 2014