On Behalf of Palacios Law Group
Being charged with any type of criminal offense can be a distressing and confusing experience. New York criminal law is a complicated topic, so you might not even be sure why you were arrested for driving while intoxicated. It is very difficult to build an effective criminal defense when you do not fully understand the nature of your arrest. Here are just a few reasons why a person might be charged with a DWI and the possible criminal consequences.
Like most people, you probably associate DWIs with alcohol. If a police officer suspects that a driver might be driving while drunk, he or she can request that the driver submit to one or more tests to determine blood-alcohol content. The legal limit for BAC is .08%, so you might have been charged if your BAC registered as this amount or higher. If your BAC was .18% or even higher you might have been charged with an aggravated DWI and face much more severe criminal penalties. Drivers who are under the influence of drugs can also be charged with DWI.
A DWI conviction often results in hefty fines and even jail time. These are not the only things that you should consider when facing a DWI. Your license will most likely be suspended before you even have a chance to defend yourself or go to court. This is because driving privileges are suspended or revoked in virtually all DWI cases in New York.
Driving privileges are a nonnegotiable necessity for people just like you. Even after your arrest you still have to drive to work, get your kids to school and so many other aspects of daily living that we often take for granted. You do not have to settle for this type of outcome. A strong criminal defense guided by an experienced attorney is very helpful when facing a DWI charge, and you can find out more about this and other criminal law topics on our website.