No. DUI or “Driving Under the Influence” is the terminology used in some states to describe a drunk driving charge. However, a drunk driving charge in New York is not referred to as DUI. Rather a DUI in New York is called DWI or “Driving [...]

A conviction for a DWAI/DWI offense can be very costly.  Court fines, surcharges, and DMV fees can add up quickly. For a first-time DWAI conviction, you face up to $500 in court fines plus another $255 or $260 in surcharges depending on whether your case [...]

Your first court appearance is known as the arraignment. At your first court appearance for a DWI charge, when you stand before the Judge, you and your DWI lawyer will enter a plea of Not Guilty to the charges. Additionally, at the first court appearance, [...]

Maybe. New York has a “Prompt Suspension Law” which requires a Judge to suspend your license or operating privilege upon a finding that the charging documents are legally sufficient, and if there is a certified breath test result confirming your blood alcohol content (BAC) was [...]

Maybe. If the court takes your license at your court appearance, you may be entitled to request a “hardship license” if there are no alternative means of transportation to and from work, school or medical appointments. If eligible, your DWI attorney should apply to the [...]

A hardship license is issued by a court after your license has been suspended pending prosecution for a DWI. A hardship license will allow you to drive to and from work, to and from school, or to and from medical appointments only. This license cannot [...]

If more than 30 days has passed since you appeared in court for your DWI charge, and if your case is still pending, you may qualify for a pre-conviction conditional license. This license allows a person to drive not only to and from work, school [...]

It is difficult to predict how long your DWI case will take and it can often depend on the location of the offense, whether there was an accident or injuries that resulted, and whether you have a prior record. In some instances, a DWI charge [...]

No. Unfortunately the time before any conviction does not count toward a suspension or revocation you may face if you are ultimately convicted of DWI.