DWI Defense Attorneys in Schenectady
Are you facing driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges in Schenectady? If so, it’s important to understand that DWI is a crime in New York and in all 50 states, which leads to a criminal record. Alcohol affects judgement, coordination, vision, and your ability to drive a vehicle, even if you have just one drink! Your level of impairment varies based on the following factors:
- Your gender
- How much you weigh
- If you had anything to eat
- How much you drink
- The rate of consumption
- The strength of the drink
- If you are sick or fatigued
- If you’re on any medications that interact with alcohol
There is no shortcut to becoming sober. Caffeine, energy drinks, cold showers, and even a “high tolerance for alcohol,” won’t help you sober up faster. The only thing that makes your body metabolize alcohol is time. The average rate that the human body processes alcohol is about one drink per hour.
Drug & Alcohol-Related Violations in New York State
In New York, it’s illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs, including lawfully prescribed and over-the-counter medications that impair safe driving. The drug and alcohol-related violations in New York include:
- Driving While Intoxicated: It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or higher.
- Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated: A BAC of .18% or above leads to aggravated DWI charges, which involve enhanced penalties.
- Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol (DWAI/Alcohol): This offense involves a BAC that is more than .05%, but less than .07%.
- Driving While Ability Impaired by a Single Drug (not including alcohol): This could include marijuana, prescription opioids, sleeping medication, antihistamines, methamphetamines, or any drug that affects safe driving.
- Driving While Ability Impaired by a Combined Influence of Drugs or Alcohol
- Refusing a Chemical Test
- Violation of New York’s Zero Tolerance Law: If a driver is under the age of 21 and they drive with a BAC ranging from .02% to .07%, they violate the state’s Zero Tolerance Law.
If you violate New York’s DWI law for drugs or alcohol, the penalties involve fines, driver’s license revocation, and possibly jail time. For example, a first DWI offense without aggravating factors is punishable by a maximum fine of $1,000, up to one year in jail, and a minimum six months’ license revocation.
Contact Us For a Free DWI Defense Consultation!
In the face of drug or alcohol-related charges, you want to avoid a conviction at all costs. A DWI conviction leads to a criminal record, but that’s not all. A DWI can impact educational, employment, and housing opportunities for years to come. To fight your DWI charges, we invite you to contact DeLorenzo, Grasso & Dalmata for a free case evaluation. Just because you are facing DWI charges, it doesn’t mean they have to end in a conviction.
To protect your rights and your freedom, take advantage of our nearly 150 years of collective experience. Serving Schenectady since 1948, we stand ready to serve you. Call us 24/7 at (518) 299-0314.