Maryland Alcohol Education Classes

Alcohol education courses or DUI classes are sponsored by the state of the Maryland. The courses have been certified by the state or the Department of Health to do what is called a self-assessment. This involves someone’s past history of alcohol and information from someone’s current situation, such as what their BAC was at the time of their arrest and whether they are simply a social drinker or if they are an elevated or troubled drinker.

The assessment can also recommend a type of education that a person needs, be it one-on-one or group work. The purpose of the course is to give the person more insight into himself or herself, and also to give insight into the greater public needs to stop drinking and driving.  A Maryland DUI attorney can provide more on the benefits of alcohol education course and discuss the ways in which they might impact your case.

Advantages

One of the unique advantages this course offers is the opportunity to speak with people who have been through this process before, who also have this issue.

An incredibly important part of DUI classes is that the person can present to a judge that he or she took this matter very seriously. They will have information to show the judge. For example, if the individual is a social drinker, that he or she was assigned to a 12-hour alcohol education program and completed it. Or if the person had a high BAC and a history of alcohol abuse, that he or she completed a 26-hour course.

DUI courses are done with therapists trained in this specific area who can give the person tools to help prevent drinking and driving.

Types of Classes

The differences between different DUI classes or alcohol education programs come down to comfort and preference. The decision is very personal. To get the most out of these classes and really address the issues and stress one is facing, it is important to be in the most comfortable situation and relate to others.

There is also a cost for the classes. They charge a person for the assessment as well as for the classes themselves.

There are regulations for these programs; certain things that they must teach. Maryland has rules about education programs with regards to anyone who has been convicted or anyone facing charges. If the person is given probation before judgment, a judge might make the program a condition of probation. In the Maryland MVA, if a person is to have an administrative hearing, the administrative judge will assign the person to a program.

Alcohol education has both a self-driven motor and an order-driven motor from a judge.

What to Expect

Going into a class, individuals should understand that they are going to be talking in-depth about drinking and driving. They are going to be talking about making better decisions, avoiding mistakes that they have made in the past, and educating themselves on how they are putting themselves and others at risk.

It involves really looking inside the individual’s self to see if he or she is simply just a social drinker or a trouble drinker. This introspection is very valuable for the individual and in the eyes of a judge. An attorney who is experienced in handling DUI cases can help you maximize your options in court as well as help you find the DUI classes and programs that best suit your needs.