For those facing an OUI, perhaps this is the first time that they have ever been in trouble with the law before. A common question I am asked is how long does an OUI stay on your record in Maine?
The answer to the question (How long does an OUI stay on your record in Maine) is an OUI conviction is a permanent fixture on your criminal record as well as your driving record. Like all Maine criminal convictions, OUI convictions cannot be removed or erased from your record after the passage of time. Therefore, it is imperative that you fight the OUI charge so that it never ends up on your record in the first place.
On occasion, I will encounter those who believe that their OUI conviction will “expire” after 10 years. This expiration is simply an urban legend. According to the Maine Statute, there is no expiration of an OUI conviction. Perhaps these folks have confused the 10-year “look back” period used for calculating consecutive OUI charges to mean that the conviction no longer applies after 10 years. In fact, these are very different things. While the look back period is used to calculate what type of OUI charge you will face at the beginning of the case, the conviction would come at the end of the case.
What if the OUI happened while I was a Juvenile?
There would be a slightly different set of circumstances if the OUI conviction occurred when you were a Juvenile under the age of 18. Under the Maine Juvenile Criminal Code, Juvenile criminal records are “sealed,” meaning that they are not available for public viewing. However, the OUI you got as a Juvenile would appear on your driving record.
Our committed legal team is determined to take immediate action to seek a positive case outcome. If you or someone you know is charged with Operating Under the Influence in Maine, I encourage you to contact The Nielsen Group for your free legal consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney. We will take the time to answer your questions and to put your mind at ease as we work with you to determine a defense strategy.
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If you would like to call us now at (207) 571-8555, we can begin to develop your case strategy.
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