What to Do When You Get Arrested for an OUI on Christmas The holiday season is upon us—and for many celebrating here in Massachusetts, this is a great opportunity to get together with friends and family. Christmas parties, workplace events, and other gatherings make this a joyous season indeed, and alcohol often contributes to the holiday cheer. As a result, the Christmas season is also one of the most common times for OUI offenses here in Massachusetts.

When You Get an OUI on New Year’s, This is What You Should Do

The Dos and Don’ts of a First OUI Charge

If you had too much to drink with friends at home for Thanksgiving or too much wine at Thanksgiving dinner and got pulled over on your way home for driving drunk, you’re not alone. Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days of the year for OUI arrests. But what do you do when you get an OUI on Thanksgiving? There are two main things.

On holidays, it’s typical for people to celebrate with alcohol—especially on holidays like Halloween, New Year’s Eve, or St. Patrick’s Day, when drinking and partying are integral to many people’s celebrations. This means that holidays like Halloween see a sharp increase in OUI arrests and subsequent OUI charges. If you ever get arrested for an OUI on Halloween, here’s what you should expect.

It’s often said that the penalties for a first offense OUI in the state of Massachusetts are harsh, but how do the penalties here compare with first OUI penalties in other states? The answer: it depends. In 2017, WalletHub ranked Massachusetts as the state with the 22nd strictest OUI penalties. Other sources have listed Massachusetts as one of the strictest states for first-time OUI offenders because the possible maximum jail time is the highest in the country.

The Consequences of an OUI Conviction In Massachusetts, a first offense OUI is a misdemeanor, which may not seem like a big deal, but Massachusetts has some of the most stringent OUI laws in the country. Individuals convicted of OUIs in Massachusetts can face up to two and a half years of jail time. While this is not a common consequence for a first offense OUI, it does happen. Even if you don’t face jail time with your conviction, OUIs carry a variety of serious penalties.

First Offense OUI Court Process When you’re charged with an OUI for the first time, the first thing that will happen is that you’ll receive an official notice from the court with the details of your charges. This notice will also include information regarding your first official court appearance. This first appearance is called an arraignment. An arraignment is how the court formally charges a person with a crime.

Getting charged with an OUI, especially for the first time, is a scary experience that raises a lot of questions. If you aren’t familiar with your state’s court system or OUI penalties, it probably feels like you’re looking into the great unknown. Let’s break down what you need to know—and what steps you need to take—when you’ve been arrested for an OUI.

If you’ve been charged with an OUI in Massachusetts and are awaiting your court date, you may be wondering what’s going to happen if you’re convicted. In this blog, we’ll break down all the possible penalties for a first offense OUI.