What is a DWI, Aggravated DWI, or DWAI?

DWI-or Driving While Intoxicated, means that your blood alcohol content was .08 or higher and can carry penalties from fines of up to one thousand dollars, up to a year in jail, and a minimum six month revocation of  your driver’s license

Aggravated DWI-means that your blood alcohol content was .18 or higher and carries minimum penalties of fines from one thousand dollars, one year in jail, and a one year revocation of your driver’s license

DWAI-means that your blood alcohol content was between .05 and .07 and carries minimum penalties of three hundred dollars in fines, fifteen days in jail, and a ninety day suspension of your driver’s license

How long could this take?

It is not unheard of for cases like this to take as long as a year or more, but with an experienced lawyer it should be much shorter than this.

Would it be better to accept a plea bargain on one of these charges?

In most cases, no. Pleading guilty to any of these charges can prevent you from getting a job in the future, or keeping the one you already have.

A friend of mine had a similar charge in a different area, I should expect the same deal they got, shouldn’t I?

While the process may be similar, each case is different even within a court system. That said each judge and court may do things differently, and each town, county, or state may have slightly different or more severe penalties, so all these factors come into play within the court’s decision.

What will happen with my insurance?

In many cases, insurance rates go up with a conviction, or you may be dropped from your insurance altogether.

Why should I fight this charge?

You need to fight this charge because a conviction will cause a criminal record to be created, preventing you from doing many things in the future including; getting a job, buying a home, or going to school if you need to take out state loans.

Why do I need a lawyer?

You need a lawyer so that this part of your life will not cause problems for you for the rest of your life. It is not fair to have the rest of your life negatively affected because of a poor decision you made only once.