As such, getting a DUI can be incredibly overwhelming. This is especially true for those who are going through the DUI process for the first time. While dealing with your own fear, anxiety, and trepidation about the potential consequences of a DUI conviction, you might also be trying to make sense of the process without knowing what to expect.

If you’re facing DUI charges for the first time, here are some things it’s important to keep in mind.

• Potential Penalties are Steep: The State of Connecticut takes DUIs very seriously. As such, the potential penalties for DUIs are also very serious. First-time DUIs do have lower sentencing stipulations than multiple offense DUIs. However, they are still rather steep in their own right. Potential legal sentences for a first-time DUI include:

1. Fines of $500 to $1,000
2. Imprisonment of up to 6 months
3. Driver’s license suspension of up to 45 days
4. One year with an ignition interlock device
5. Participation in a MADD victim impact panel
6. Completion of a DMV-approved substance abuse treatment program

• There are Two Hearings: When you are charged with a DUI in Connecticut, two separate processes are kicked into gear.

The first deals with the criminal charges that come with a DUI. This process consists of a hearing before a judge, represented by an attorney. It will determine what you are convicted or not convicted of criminally. It will also determine what sentence you will receive if you are convicted.

The second deals with the administrative charges that come with a DUI. This process is facilitated by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). When you get charged with a DUI, the DMV is notified, and sends you an official Notice telling you they plan on suspending your license. You may then attend an administrative hearing regarding your license suspension. In the hearing, four issues will be addressed:

1. Did the police have probable cause to arrest someone for driving under the influence in a way that impaired their ability to operate the vehicle?
2. Were you arrested?
3. Did you allow or refuse a drug/alcohol test? And if you allowed it, did it come back positive, and was it conducted within 2 hours of you operating the vehicle?
4. Were you personally driving the car?

DMV administrative DUI hearings have a much lower burden of proof than criminal DUI hearings. A criminal case theoretically starts with the presumption of your innocence (until proven otherwise).  The prosecutor must prove within a reasonable doubt, by an abundance of evidence, that you are guilty. An administrative DMV hearing starts with the foregone decision to suspend your license, which you have the burden of refuting by proving that the decision is erroneous based on the record of events.

If you decide not to fight the DMV’s decision, you will automatically have your license suspended for the statutory time period. If you do decide to fight—especially with the help of a well-versed, knowledgeable attorney—you have a chance of changing that outcome.