Besides the obvious criminal sanctions already described in our last post which include mandatory jail, loss of license or a restricted license, and mandatory fines, there are a lot of under-publicized but very substantial consequences.

First is the fact that you will be branded FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE with a conviction for one of the most politically-charged and socially unacceptable offenses in the modern day history of the United States in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Some of the serious other consequences that are under-publicized are listed below.

Effects on Employment

If you get convicted of a DUI one thing is for certain, you won’t be working for Donald Trump.

Take the example of Khloe Kardashian.  She was charged with a DUI and pleaded guilty at the very first opportunity.  She never denied it, fully disclosed it, accepted full and complete responsibility for it and even sought to donate her earnings to a charity involved in drug and alcohol abuse education.  The verdict, “You’re fired.

Although it is highly illegal and improper for an employer during the application and interview process to ask if you “have ever been arrested?” or if you “have ever been convicted of any offense?”, they do.  Under Pennsylvania law, prospective employers may consider felony and misdemeanor convictions that relate to your suitability for employment in the position for which you have applied. Under federal law, many statutes make a person ineligible for federal employment upon conviction for certain crimes.

It would be a foolish for an employer to admit to it but most will “find” another reason to justify not hiring you.  Most employers require background checks prior to or shortly after beginning employment.  Again, although it is not proper or legal to discriminate solely based upon this conviction, in the real world, they do it all the time.

Justin McShane

PA DUI attorney Justin J. McShane is the President/CEO of The McShane Firm, LLC - Pennsylvania's top criminal law and DUI law firm. He is the highest rated DUI attorney in PA as rated by Avvo.com. Justin McShane is a double Board certified attorney. He is the first and so far the only Pennsylvania attorney to achieve American Bar Association recognized board certification in DUI defense from the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. He is also a Board Certified Criminal Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court Approved Agency.