Part 1 of 5-part series, prepared by Peter L. Johnston, Esq., Philadelphia DUI Lawyer
Arguably, the most serious type of motor vehicle violation is one that involves driving while under the influence of alcohol or another controlled substance. The consequence of drunk driving are indeed dire and can kill. It is for that reason that driving under the influence has been elevated to a full-fledged criminal violation. If you are found guilty of driving under the influence, you are guilty of a crime and will have a criminal record, something you will not have with an ordinary traffic violation.
However, unlike other crimes, driving under the influence is more often a crime of bad judgment than a crime of bad character. It is not uncommon for otherwise good, honest, hard-working and law-abiding people–people who are not hardened criminals–to find themselves afoul of the law because of a drunk driving incident that arose because of substance-induced poor judgment. Nevertheless, because of the potentially dire consequences, it is still a very serious offense and deemed a crime by society.