Can a DUI Prevent you from Leaving the Country?

Will my DUI prevent me from leaving the country? The answer is maybe. A DUI can prevent you from leaving the country. You can be prevented from leaving the jurisdiction by the court. You can also be denied entry into another country.

When you are arrested the police can let you go home or take you to jail. If they take you to jail the court can set a bond. Bond can be financial or conditional. Conditions can be monitoring by pretrial services or probation. This is common in felony DUI cases. Other conditions are house arrest or an electronic alcohol monitor. These can prevent free travel outside your house much less the country.

Once the case is over you can be put on reporting or non-reporting probation. Reporting probation requires you to sign a list of terms and conditions that often includes restrictions on leaving the county or state where you reside. You should check your copy of the terms and conditions you signed with the probation department first if you have already been convicted of a DUI in Ohio to see if there is a restriction on travel.

If there is, you will then want to talk to your probation officer and ask for permission. You might have to consult your lawyer to file a petition with the court a have a hearing with the judge to ask for modification of the restriction to allow you to travel outside the country. If you have a trip planned soon you will want to make your lawyer aware of the details so the issue can be addressed at the next court date or at sentencing. Permission to travel is up to the discretion of the court.

You can also be prevented from entry into a foreign country. Do not call the consulate! Do not call the consulate! Do not call the consulate! In case you did get it… Do not call the consulate! I recently attended a seminar in Las Vegas put on by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Association about travel into Canada. The speaker said that the worst thing to do is to contact the consulate on your own because they will start a file on you and your admission will get you into trouble she might have been able to avoid.

What you should do is contact a lawyer in the country you plan to travel to and consult with them about travel restrictions. They will likely consult with you for free or a small fee and be able to help you apply for admission. The last thing you want to do is pay for a trip, travel, and get detained at the border. This can happen even if your DUI was reduced to reckless driving if traveling to Canada because they think of it as just as serious of a crime as a DUI.

DUI in Dayton Ohio is a serious matter. Just getting a reduction does not always fulfill your needs. If you travel outside the county or country you need to talk to your Dayton DUI defense lawyer about your travel needs before you take any deals. Once you enter a plea it is too late to change it in most cases. Unintended consequences of a DUI or reduced charges are not grounds to reopen your case. You and your lawyer need to get it right the first time.

Contact the Dayton Criminal Defense Attorneys at Suhre & Associates, LLC For Help Today

For more information, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Suhre & Associates, LLC give us a call today at (937) 531-0435 or visit us at our Dayton law office.

Suhre & Associates, LLC – Dayton
130 West Second Street #17-129
Dayton, OH 45402
United States

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