Additional Penalties: Community Service for Your Georgia DUI

A person charged with a Georgia DUI will face many different penalties, including:

• Jail time,
• High fines,
• DUI Risk Reduction or Addiction classes,
• Driver's license suspension, and
• Installation of Ignition Interlock Device.

You will also be required to complete community service as a part of your DUI sentence. If you have been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol in Georgia, an experienced Georgia DUI attorney can defend your case to protect your rights.

What is Community Service?

Community service can be performed in a variety of different ways. Whether it is serving time in a shelter, cleaning up Georgia's roadways, or some other form of volunteer service, there are multiple ways to complete your assigned hours.

A court will sentence you to a certain number of community service hours as part of your sentence. It can even be up to as much as 40 hours of mandatory service for a first time DUI.

Making Sure Your Hours Count

One of the mistakes many drivers make is volunteering for a group or organization that is not approved by the court, which is called a qualifying community service organization. Only certain groups are approved, and only with those groups will the many hours you spend be counted as part of your sentence.

Many courts will provide you with a list of approved community service organizations. If you are not completely sure that a particular group is approved, talk to your Georgia DUI attorney. Your attorney is aware of what groups will be approved by the court and will ensure your volunteer hours are credited towards your sentence.

Before you begin serving any community service hours with a group, make sure to inform them that you are subject to court-ordered community service. You are required to inform the group of this information by law. An organization has the right to deny you permission to volunteer with it.

Documenting Your Community Service Hours

Another crucial aspect of your community service sentence is to make sure you keep accurate records of all hours spent, and what you did for all of that time. Most courts require specific documentation in order to prove that you completed your hours. In many cases, that documentation must be signed and approved by a supervisor or another volunteer at the community service organization.

If the organization has a specific form or sheet to record volunteer hours, make sure that you use that particular form. If you use your own way of recording your hours, even if it is accurate, it may not be accepted by the court.

Consult a Georgia DUI Attorney

If you or someone you care for has been arrested for a Georgia DUI, there are defenses which can be raised to defend your case and protect your constitutional rights. Community service is an integral part of your sentence, and your attorney can help you with the details and making sure your hours are accurately counted.

Just because you are charged with a crime does not mean that you are guilty. An experienced Georgia DUI attorney is here to help. Contact us today.