Even A First DWI Can Have Serious Consequences

A patrol officer can pull a person over if they suspect that they have been drinking and driving. From there, they can perform field sobriety tests that can determine whether or not you need to be arrested and taken for breath, urine or blood testing.

This can be a very confusing time. Perhaps you weren’t drinking, or there are other factors that contributed to field sobriety testing or breath tests gone wrong. Whatever the case, it is important to speak to a lawyer who can help you achieve a favorable outcome. Contact Dahlquist Law, LLC, today.

Building An Effective Defense

If you have been charged with a DWI/DUI, you are looking at more than just having your license revoked. There are other penalties based on the seriousness of the charges. For instance, there could be a number of aggravating factors present:

• A BAC of .16 or higher
• A previous DWI offense within the preceding 10 years
• Having a minor under the age of 16 in the vehicle at the time of the offense

Based on the circumstances, there are different degrees of DWI. They include:

• First-degree DWI – When there are more than three DWI convictions or license revocations within the preceding 10 years, a person can be sentenced to seven years in prison and pay $14,000 in fines.
• Second-degree DWI – Two or more aggravating factors are at play at the time of the arrest. The result can be up to $3,000 in fines and one year in prison.
• Third-degree DWI – One aggravating factor is present at the time of the arrest. This can result in $3,000 in fines and one year in prison.
• Fourth-degree DWI – There are no aggravating factors present at the time of the arrest. The penalty can be $1,000 in fines and 90 days in jail.

These penalties come in addition to the collateral and civil consequences that result from DWI.

Challenging The Civil Consequences Of DWI

There are other consequences that come with DWI in addition to jail or prison time and fines. They include license suspension, plate impoundment and vehicle forfeiture.

Your license can be suspended immediately upon arrest and the positive testing for drugs or alcohol. You could lose your license for a period of 90 days to three years or even face license cancellation, depending on the previous criminal driving history and whether there is a refusal to submit to blood alcohol testing. Test refusal can result in one year of license suspension.

Plate impoundment occurs when license plates are forfeited to the state after being charged with a third-degree, second-degree or first-degree DWI, or it is your first time and you have a blood alcohol reading at or over .16.

Vehicle forfeiture may occur if you are charged with first- or second-degree DWI. Fortunately, you and I can fight together to keep your driving privileges. Just because you have been charged with DWI doesn’t mean that you are guilty of it.

Together We Can Stand Up For Your Rights

DWI can be very serious and result in a criminal record that can cause issues with getting a job and achieving milestones in life that require background checks. If you have been charged with DWI/DUI, you can defend yourself with the help of an experienced Minnesota DWI defense lawyer. To learn more, call 612-887-4020 in Minneapolis or fill out a short form for a free consultation.