DWI / DWAI / OUI / DUI

New York DWI / DWAI / OUI / DUI Lawyer

Have you been arrested for with drunk driving in Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Bronx or Putnam County, New York? If you have been charged with DWI or DWAI, you may be facing serious penalties that can impact your life for years.

If you are charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI - commonly referred to as DUI or OUI in other states) or driving while ability impaired (DWAI), our staff at The Law Offices of David R. Sachs can provide you with a personalized legal defense and vigorously defend and protect your rights. We can also help you understand the driver's license implications a DWI conviction may have, such as license revocation or license suspension.

DWI | DWAI Charges

In New York State, a person who is operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or above can be arrested and charged with the misdemeanor crime of driving while intoxicated, which is commonly known as "DWI". If you were already convicted of a DWI in the last ten years prior to your new DWI charge, you may even be charged with a felony. Any DWI charge, whether it’s a misdemeanor or felony carries severe consequences, including license suspensions and/or revocation. If you are charged with a DWI misdemeanor you may be facing up to one year in the county jail or three years probation and hefty fines. If you are charged with a felony you may be facing state prison time or five years probation and a hefty fine.

In some instances, drivers are charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol which is commonly referred to as "DWAI". This drunk driving charge is not a criminal charge and applies to individuals who are operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration that is between .05 and .07. Although the charge is not criminal, DWAI penalties can include a $300 - $500 fine, up to 15 days in jail, or both.

A DWAI charge can also apply to a person who is operating a motor vehicle whose ability to operate the motor vehicle is impaired by drugs. Depending on the circumstances this charge can be either a misdemeanor or felony.

More recently, in November, 2006, the state legislature enacted two new alcohol related misdemeanor offenses:

• Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated, which prohibits a person from driving a motor vehicle with a BAC of .18 or more. The main difference between the DWI under .18 and this new charge is that a person faces much longer license revocation and even higher hefty fines.
• Driving While Ability Impaired by the Combined Influence of Drugs and Alcohol, which prohibits operating a motor vehicle while impaired by the combined influence of drugs or of alcohol and any drug or drugs.

Skilled White Plains DWI Lawyer

An experienced DWI attorney may dramatically reduce the probability that you will face such serious consequences. Drunk driving defense attorney Dave Sachs is dedicated to thoroughly investigating your case to ensure that your Constitutional rights were not abused. Our firm also works to provide you with the strongest defense possible—in a manner which may save you valuable time and money. In addition, he may be able to negotiate a temporary license or enable you to retain your license while your DWI or DWAI case is pending.

For more information about how a DWI charge affects your license, please visit the Driver's License Implication section of this website for information about driver's license suspension and revocation

If this is your first DWI offense, read about your defense options and alternatives at First Offenses.

Contact a DWI / DUI attorney at our firm today for more information about how we can help you. For your convenience, your initial consultation is free and evening appointments are available upon request.