Can You Lose Your Teaching License for a DUI in GA?

There are often more consequences of a criminal conviction besides the punishment imposed by the judge. Of course, jail time and the loss of a driver’s license are significant penalties that you would face when you have been convicted of a DUI.

There may be other effects of a DUI conviction that can harm your career. You may even lose a professional license, such as the ability to teach. Contact Moffitt Law, LLC to discuss your individual case for DUI defense in Columbus, GA and learn how we may help you.

What to Do After a DUI Charge or Conviction When You Have a Teaching License

If you have been charged with DUI in Georgia, and you are a teacher, you must do the following:

• File a report of pending criminal charges with the human resources department of the Georgia Department of Education.
• Submit a follow-on report when there has been a disposition of the charges (whether it is a guilty plea, a conviction, or an acquittal).

Even if the conviction itself is not enough for the teacher to lose their job, the failure to report it may be.

Do not make the mistake of thinking that the Georgia Department of Education will not learn of a conviction. In many cases, any dishonesty involved in failing to follow the reporting procedures could make a bad situation worse for you.

Schools take children’s safety seriously. They are rightfully very concerned with who is allowed around children and what risks they may pose. There is a reason why teachers need a stringent background check and have to report criminal convictions after they occur. Children may be at risk.

A Teacher With a DUI Arrest May Be Subject to Further Investigation

Once you have reported the charges, you can expect that the Department of Education may perform its investigation. They need to determine whether you are a safety risk to children.

If your job involves driving children in any way, you would not be allowed to do that. Depending on what the Department of Education may learn, your job itself could be in jeopardy.

What Happens If a Teacher Gets a DUI on Their Record?

It is not automatic that you will lose your job as a teacher. However, you can expect that the conditions for you to keep your job would include rehabilitation and additional monitoring. In serious cases, your teaching license itself could be at risk.

Even though you may be punished for a DUI conviction, you are still entitled to due process. For example, if the state wants to take away your teaching license, you would have the right to be heard in a hearing.

Your lawyer may negotiate with the state, either while your case is pending or afterward. If you believe that your license is being unfairly taken away from you, there is a possibility that you can fight in court.

You may need to hire a professional licensed defense attorney to fight on your behalf. However, this is not a situation that you want to find yourself in when you need to earn a living.

Before you plead guilty to a DUI charge, you need to know all of the possible effects on your life. Our DUI defense lawyers can review your specific situation with you, along with helping you determine whether there are any avenues to fight the charges against you.

In many instances, a DUI case is not as simple as pleading guilty and accepting your punishment. You may lose your right to practice in your chosen profession. If you choose to negotiate a plea bargain, you need to be mindful that there could be other effects of your conviction.

Contact a Georgia DUI Defense Attorney Today

You should never try to face DUI charges alone. You may be tempted to plead guilty quickly to make the matter go away, but then you never realize the consequences of a conviction until you experience them.

Moffitt Law, LLC will review your case and your situation to give you pragmatic legal advice. Your first step is to reach out to us to schedule an initial consultation. You can message us through our website, or you can call us today at 762-200-2924 to speak with a lawyer.