First-Time Maryland DUI Charges: 4 Benefits Of Choosing A PBJ Agreement
Posted on: 14 June 2016
Getting arrested for a DUI charge can come with many negative aspects on your life. If you're a first-time offender, this can be a really scary time that is filled with a lot of questions, fears, and concerns about the future court proceedings. Instead of going through the traditional process, Maryland has a special condition known as a PBJ. The "Probate Before Judgment" clause gives you the option of agreeing to a guilty plea and quickly ending your case. Instead of fighting the charges in court, there are four benefits of pleading guilty and agreeing to a PBJ. A DUI attorney can help you get this agreement and ensure that everything goes smoothly if you decide to do so.
Quick Court Proceedings
Going to court for a DUI case can take a lot of time and resources. You may have to pay legal fees, visit the court multiple times, and possibly lose time at work to attend court hearings. The PBJ process can happen early in your case and eliminate a lot of these court dates. A lawyer can enter a request for a PBJ during one of your earliest hearings. Once it is entered, a judge can agree to it and go through with the sentencing process. For first-time offenders, this can help reduce a lot of the stress that comes with attending court.
No Jail Time
One of the other biggest benefits of agreeing to a PBJ is that you pretty much know the exact sentencing that you will be getting. By making this agreement, you will be placed on probation for a set amount of time. This means that you can avoid jail time all together and go on with your basic routines. This is ideal for people with jobs or families that they need to support. The probation terms may also include other things like community service or drunk driving educational courses. You can work with an attorney to find out the different agreements of a probation, including the length of time that the probation will last.
Removal From Record
Even though you are technically pleading guilty in a PBJ agreement, the charges and guilty plea will be completely removed from your record. This has several advantages, including for any background checks that you need to undergo in the future. For example, if you trying to get a new job, the DUI charges will not appear on your background check. The charges are not removed from your record right away. After the probation period has ended, you will have a court meeting where the judge will agree that you have met the terms of the agreement and then will remove your charges from your record. This is one of the biggest payoffs from choosing a PBJ agreement.
Car Insurance Prices
Along with removing the charges from your record, these charges will not impact your car insurance prices if you choose a PBJ agreement. This can make a huge difference in the money you're spending on car insurance on a daily basis. After getting convicted of a DUI, insurance prices can rise up to $5,000 in some cases. You can avoid these extra costs with a PBJ agreement. Getting a PBJ early in your case will help prevent the case from moving forward and impacting your car insurance prices at all. Because the charges are completely removed from your record, you have a second chance to drive responsibly, learn your lesson, and save thousands of dollars in the process.
It may be hard for you to agree to a guilty plea because you want to naturally fight the charges, but the benefits can often outweigh your pride. Receiving advice from a DUI attorney from a firm like Chichester Law Office can go a long way in making your final decision and having proper representation in the case.
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