New Jersey DWI Lawyer- Your Lifeline

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The consequences of a DWI conviction may be long-lasting and affect your family as well. We can help – contact us to find out how.

You have been pulled over and charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). You are unsure what the best course of action is. What should you do next? A DWI charge can affect many different aspects and parts of your life. There are obvious penalties such as losing your driving privileges, going to jail, facing fines, etc.

Those are anticipated, but what about the effects of those penalties? Imagine that you were sentenced to jail time – what would become of you or your family? Would you be able to support yourself or your family? Serving jail time or even being unable to drive can put your career or employment in jeopardy, which in turn can cause hardship to you as an individual or your family. It is important to understand all types of consequences to come from a DWI charge.

The penalties for a DWI conviction in New Jersey depend on previous DWI charges. If you have been charged with a DWI in New Jersey, you could face the following penalties:

  • Receive a fine ranging from $200 to $1000
  • Attend an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC) for 12 to 48 hours at the cost of $100
  • A possible jail term up to 180 days
  • Loss of driving privileges in New Jersey for 2-10 years
  • A required ignition interlock device for 1 to 3 years after the suspension

Fortunately, our New Jersey DWI lawyers can be your lifeline. The lawyers at Castronovo & McKinney LLC can help you through this process by guiding you through your arraignment and trial. A personalized defense will be crafted in order by our New Jersey DWI lawyers to help you avoid the many and far-reaching consequences of a DWI charge.

DWI Repeat Offenders In NJ – The Law Explained

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Your penalties after a DUI in New Jersey may be severe. Call us for help defending your case.

If you have been convicted of one or more DWI, the penalties and punishments will be more severe if you are convicted of the current offense. It is important for repeat offenders to remember the 10 Year Rule, which means a DWI conviction that is ten years old or older does not count as a prior conviction for sentencing purposes. It is also important to understand that a DWI conviction in another state will count as a conviction in New Jersey during the sentencing process.

The law differs for repeat offenders. The following fines and penalties can be imposed for a second DWI offense:

  • Receive a fine ranging from $500 to $1000
  • Sentenced to 30 days of community service
  • Attend an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC) for 12 to 48 hours at the cost of $100
  • Pay a $50 Violent Crimes Compensation Board (VCCB) penalty,
  • Pay a $75 Safe Neighborhood Fund Assessment.
  • A possible jail term up to 90 days
  • Loss of driving privileges in New Jersey for 2 years
  • A required ignition interlock device for 1 to 3 years after the suspension

The following fines and penalties can be imposed for a third DWI offense:

  • Receive a $1000 fine
  • Attend an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC) for 12 to 48 hours at the cost of $100
  • Pay a $50 Violent Crimes Compensation Board (VCCB) penalty,
  • Pay a $75 Safe Neighborhood Fund Assessment.
  • A possible jail term up to 180 days (90 days can be served by performing community service)
  • Loss of driving privileges in New Jersey for 10 years
  • A required ignition interlock device for 1 to 3 years after the suspension

If you have one or more DWI convictions, it is best to contact a lawyer who practices in such cases to discuss your options. The lawyers at Castronovo & McKinney LLC have experience with helping repeat offenders and can help you navigate DWI trials.

Top 7 Things To Do If You Have A DWI

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You will need to protect your interests after a DWI charge. Contact our lawyers for advice.

The unimaginable happened. You were pulled over for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). If you have a DWI, what do you do now? There are 7 important things to do if you are charged with a DWI.

  1. Write everything down: As soon as you have been charged with a DWI, write down what happened in great detail. An accurate memory is very important for your case. As the case many take several months to go to trial, the sooner you write down what happened after the incident, the better.
  2. Keep copies of your citation: Any document related to your DWI should be kept in good condition in order to provide copies to a lawyer for examination. A few of the important documents include your citation, the chemical results, any impound documentation, and insurance documentation.
  3. Visit the site of the incident: You may visit the site where you were pulled over and performed the field sobriety tests. Document the area by taking pictures of the slope of the ground, the area where you were pulled over, the curb, the intersection, etc. Take photos of anything you think will help your case. Be prepared to show this to your lawyer.
  4. If you have a DWI, hire a DWI attorney: Hiring an attorney shortly after receiving a DWI will help in the process of collecting and preserving evidence for the case. The lawyer will be able to discuss the particulars of your case and decide the best course of action.
  5. Make your court appearance: In New Jersey, you are required to appear in court for an arraignment where the court advises you of the charges being brought against you. It is important that you arrive at this appearance to enter your plea of guilty or not guilty.
  6. Social media: You may want to consider suspending your social media accounts if there are any posts relating to the day of the incident. The defense can use social media posts against you during the trial.
  7. Play it safe: If you have a DWI, do not get into another situation where you could potentially receive another DWI. The existing charge could be enhanced, meaning the penalties could be more severe if you were to be charged with another DWI or related charge while a DWI is already pending.

If charged with a DWI, you have the right to consult an attorney to decide the best possible course of action. The lawyers at Castronovo & McKinney LLC have experience with DWI cases and are able to help you navigate the confusing process of a DWI trial.

DWI and How to Avoid Jail Time

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There are certain strategies you might consider to help you avoid jail time in a DUI. Call us to discuss your options.

If you have been charged with a DWI, one question on your mind is probably, “how can I avoid jail time?” There are many aspects that go into answering that question. Avoiding jail time depends on past offenses and the degree of the current DWI offense.  While those are factors that contribute to the charge and ultimately whether you are convicted or not, there are three keys that can help your case.

A Strong Defense

The best way to lessen the likelihood of serving jail times is by getting the case dismissed by a strong defense. This can happen by filing motions to suppress or even proceeding with the trial and being found not guilty by the jury.

Plea Bargaining

The goal of a plea bargain is to reduce or eliminate as many consequences as possible. By hiring an experienced lawyer, you can discuss your options in regard to plea bargains. They can be effective when your lawyer identifies and demonstrates the strength of the defense or weaknesses in the prosecutor’s case. By doing so, a defense lawyer may be able to persuade the prosecuting attorney to dismiss or significantly reduce the charges.

Pre-sentencing Rehabilitation

As the one on trial, you will need to demonstrate that you are willing to take responsibility for your actions. An effective way to demonstrate this is to place yourself in a rehabilitation program before your sentencing hearing. This shows the Court that you are willing to address any behavioral problems that led to your DWI charge and to ensure that you are not going to be a repeat offender.

In the case of a DWI charge, it is best to consult an experienced lawyer who can help you make the best decisions about your case. The lawyers at Castronovo & McKinney LLC are dedicated to providing the best legal defense for those charged with Driving While Intoxicated.