A DWI in Minnesota comes with many costs. Even if a first time conviction does not carry a jail sentence, a DWI conviction is likely to be far more inconvenient that a speeding ticket or some other moving violations.
If the DWI charge is merely a traffic stop, and does not involve a crash with damage to your vehicle or injuries to your person or other motorists, you are still likely to have to pay the expense of DWI defense attorney. You will probably lose your license for a period, and you are also likely to see higher insurance costs when you are able to have your driving privileges reinstated
You will also have to pay fines or other court costs related to your charges and in the event of a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.16 or greater, you could be required to pay for the installation of a ignition interlock device and the monthly maintenance fee.
But there are other costs associated with a DWI. You could lose your job. A woman who once had a $109,000 a year job with the Minnesota Lottery was fired this year after she received a DWI in 2014.
She claims the incident was due to her alcoholism, which she argues should be considered a disability under the Minnesota Human Rights Act. It is not clear from that law if alcoholism is a “qualifying disability.”
Nonetheless, her firing underscores the severe effect a DWI can have on your job or career.
If you drive for a living, as a commercial truck driver or bus driver, a DWI could end your career. And you should also be aware that the legal limit for commercial drivers is 0.04 BAC for a DWI and not the higher 0.08 BAC level that applies to other drivers.
Source: Minnesota.cbslocal.com, “Lottery Official Suing, Says She Was Wrongly Fired Over Alcoholism,” Esme Murphy, October 8, 2015
