Driving While Intoxicated is viewed by the Suffolk and Nassau County District Attorneys as a very serious problem on Long Island. As a result, both offices’ policies regarding the prosecution of this crime are extremely harsh.
There are fewer and fewer cases that the District Attorney’s office is willing to plea bargain down to a lesser offense. In fact, if you are accused of refusing to submit to a chemical test to determine the alcohol content of your blood, the DA will not plea bargain at all, even if it is your first offense. And, even if you do take the test, in most cases they still will not agree to a lesser charge.
If convicted of Driving While Intoxicated, the defendant’s driver’s license will be revoked for at least six months, fines and surcharges will be imposed by both the court and the Department of Motor Vehicles, and a period of probation is typically imposed.
What is most important when charged with DWI is to hire an attorney who will do everything they can for you to avoid such a conviction, who is experienced in handling these cases and is willing and able to go to trial should it be necessary.