New York State has done a lot over the years to try and stop people from driving while intoxicated, but no matter what they do, there will always be people who do so anyway. There are two general classifications of driving while intoxicated charges in the state of New York. If you are charged with DWI, it will usually be a regular charge or it can be an Aggravated DWI charge, or AGG DWI.
This is given when the drunk driver has an especially high blood alcohol content reading on their breathalyzer test. The requirements for an aggravated DWI charge are that your blood alcohol content is a .18 percent or higher. If you are charged with a first offense AGG DWI, you are facing consequences that include fines that range between $1,000 and $2,500, the potential for up to 1 year in jail, 1 year of license revocation, and other fees and surcharges from the state. First time offenders may be able to keep their drivers license if they are eligible and complete the Drinking Driver Program, or DDP.
Of course, with every subsequent AGG DWI offense, the penalties you face are only going to increase in severity. A second offense AGG DWI charge will require you to pay fines between $1,000 to $5,000, spend up to four years in jail, lose your license for a minimum of 18 months, and pay the additional state surcharges. Third offense penalties are even worse. The fines an offender faces range from $2,000 to $10,000, and they are subject to up to 7 years in jail, license revocation for at least 18 months, and of course, the state surcharges.
If you are charged with aggravated DWI, you will require an experienced and dedicated criminal defense attorney who can try to reduce some of the consequences you face.
If you are in need of legal counsel in New York State, please feel free to contact Grunwald & Seman, P.C. and we would be happy to assist you.
