House arrest means that you are confined to your home either all the time, or with certain restrictions on when you can leave. It is sometimes an alternative to jail in a DUI case.
If you are convicted of DUI in Los Angeles you will usually be given a jail sentence. This sentence can last anywhere from two days to several weeks or longer—up to a year in some cases. However, there are alternatives to jail. One alternative that is used in some special cases is house arrest.
House arrest means you must remain in your home. You may be allowed to leave under some circumstances, but the details are unique to each case. Common reasons you may be allowed to leave the house include going to addiction treatment, meeting with a probation officer, or going to medical appointments. In other cases you will be given a curfew and must be home by that time. The courts will use some kind of electronic monitoring device to be sure that you follow the rules.
It’s not common for a judge to offer house arrest, but you may be able to request it in some cases. The most common reasons for house arrest rather than jail include:
- You have already enrolled in an alcohol or drug treatment program, and house arrest will allow you to keep attending
- You have serious medical needs that would be hard to meet in jail
- You have proven yourself a responsible citizen and your DUI was a one-time mistake
You can learn the specifics of how house arrest and electronic monitoring work here: What is house arrest for DUI?
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