I've had a couple of people ask for my opinion on the recent Justin Bieber DUI arrest and whether or not his behavior will land him in a Miami jail. The short answer is: probably not.
DUI is one of the most publicly shunned and hated crimes. Organizations like MADD receive millions every year and promote tougher sentences for DUI offenders and raise social awareness of the issues surrounding DUI. A recent high school or college grad with a fresh DUI on their record will undoubtedly have a much more difficult time finding a job or getting into a career than their clean and sober counterpart. With that said, most first-time DUI offenders do not end up spending any significant time in jail. I am not licensed to practice in Florida, but a typical first DUI sentence for Bieber will probably include a fine, some community service and some alcohol and drug abuse counseling. Whether or not Justin spends time on probation will be up to the prosecutor and court in his case, though he would likely be allowed to call or mail his probation reports every month, since he is not a Florida resident.
Under Georgia's laws, a first DUI offender must usually spend 24 hours in jail. However, this time is often worked around by crediting any time one sits in jail after their arrest and even attending court for their hearings. Of course, second and subsequent DUIs carry far stiffer penalties in Georgia, with 2nd offenders looking at 3 days and third offenders jumping to 15 days.
So, even though Bieber was allegedly racing, driving DUI, driving on an expired license, and resisted arrest to some degree, the prediction is he will not spend anymore time in Miami's jail, but will definitely have some amends to make with Florida's justice system. What do you think, should Justin Bieber go to jail for this arrest?