A DUI carries a number of criminal consequences, but sometimes it’s the social fallout that people fear the most after a DUI. Afraid of the stigma that a DUI arrest brings, they wonder if their friends or family are going to hear about the arrest. Odds are you’ve read police blotters in your local newspaper or seen them reported in the Star-Tribune, and you might be wondering if every subscriber is going to learn about your DUI because the news covered the arrest. In today’s blog, we explain why some DUIs end up in the local newspaper, while others are harder to find.
Will People Find Out About My DUI?
Whether or not people find out about your DUI isn’t entirely under your control, so the sooner you come to the realization that others might find out, the better. That’s not to say that you need to go announcing your arrest to everyone you meet, but know that even if you go to great links to prevent word from getting out, there’s still a chance it will become public knowledge.
However, you can likely rest easy knowing that your DUI probably won’t be in the newspaper. While the newspaper may have a police blotter section, only the “newsworthy” stories typically end up getting printed. A run-of-the-mill first offense DUI with no police altercation isn’t going to draw eyeballs or sell newspapers.
That said, a high profile incident or an arrest with interesting facts may very well make the paper, so there is a chance your DUI could end up on the newspaper. For example, if you went off the road and drove into a house or it’s your eighth DUI, these details could draw eyeballs and lead to your arrest being published in the newspaper. It’s also why we often see DUI stories about government officials or professional athletes, because the high profile nature of the arrest is considered newsworthy. You may not be as famous as these people, but if anything shocking happened during your arrest, it could easily end up in the newspaper.
So while we can’t say for sure that your DUI arrest will or won’t end up in the paper, you can kind of assess your arrest and see if there’s anything newsworthy about it. Even if there’s nothing of note, the arrest will still be public knowledge, so it’s possible others could find out about it for one reason or another. Regardless, it’s important to realize that a DUI is not the end of the world, and you have legal options at your disposal.
Arguably the best way to prevent people from hearing about your DUI conviction is by beating the charges in court, and a defense lawyer can help you do just that. For more information or for help with your DUI case, reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm today.
