DWI / DUI Penalties

Ronkonkoma – Suffolk County DUI-DWI Defense Lawyer
Tough, Experienced DUI-DWI Defense in Suffolk County

In New York, you face stiff penalties if you plead guilty or are convicted of drunk driving (DUI-DWI). Due to the seriousness of the charges, it highly recommended you obtain experienced counsel from an attorney with DUI-DWI defense experience.

Please note: If you are arrested for drunk driving (DUI-DWI), it is in YOUR BEST INTEREST to NOT make any statements to the police or anyone else until you have consulted an experienced attorney – Call 631-738-6761 today. Please visit our Initial Contact with Police page for information about what to expect if pulled over for suspected driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

With offices in Ronkonkoma and East Islip, New York, Susan A. Kassel, P.C. provides an experienced, aggressive defense to individuals charged with drunk driving in the Suffolk County area.

When we agree to defend you, you can count on us to dedicate ourselves to providing you with the best possible defense. We closely examine every aspect of your case, looking for mistakes or errors committed by the police. We understand the strengths and weaknesses of the prosecutor’s case, as well as your case. We take your charges and your driver’s license suspension as serious as you do.

The following chart will give you an indication of the penalties you face if convicted, based upon the charges and your DUI-DWI history. Also, please visit our Drunk Driving License Suspension page for additional information about your license suspension or revocation, which is in addition to the penalties described below.

Following a plea or conviction for drunk driving, and depending upon the offense committed and certain factors as indicated below, you face the following fines and jail sentences:

Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated A-DWI (.18 and higher Blood Alcohol Content [BAC])
Conviction	Fine Only*	Jail Sentence
1st Offense (Misdemeanor)	Minimum $1,000 Maximum $2,500	Up to 1Year
2nd Offense Within 5 years (Class E Felony)	Minimum $1,000 Maximum $5,000	Up to 4 Years; minimum 5 days in jail or 30 days of community service
3rd Offense or more Within 10 years (Class D Felony)	Minimum $2,000 Maximum $10,000	Up to 7 Years; minimum 10 days jail or 60 days of community service

Driving While Intoxicated DWI (.08 and higher Blood Alcohol Content [BAC] or other evidence of intoxication) or Driving While Ability Impaired by a Drug DWI-Drug
Conviction	Fine Only*	Jail Sentence
1st Offense (Misdemeanor)	Minimum $500 Maximum $1,000	Up to 1 Year
2nd Offense Within 10 years (Class E Felony)	Minimum $1,000 Maximum $5,000	Up to 4 Years; minimum 5 days jail or 30 days of community service
3rd Offense or more Within 5 years (Class D Felony)	Minimum $2,000 Maximum $10,000	Up to 7 Years; minimum 10 days jail or 60 days of community service
2nd Offense Within 10 years (Class E Felony)	Minimum $1,000 Maximum $5,000	Up to 4 Years
3rd Offense or more Within 10 years (Class D Felony)	Minimum $2,000 Maximum $10,000	Up to 7 Years

Driving While Ability Impaired by a Combination of Alcohol or Drugs DWAI-Combination
Conviction	Fine Only*	Jail Sentence
1st Offense (Misdemeanor)	Minimum $500 Maximum $1,000	Up to 1 Year
2nd Offense Within 5 years (E Felony)	Minimum $1,000 Maximum $5,000	Up to 4 Years
3rd Offense Within 10 years (D Felony)	Minimum $1,000 Maximum $5,000	Up to 7 Years

Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol DWAI (more than .05 up to .07 Blood Alcohol Content [BAC])
Conviction	Fine Only*	Jail Sentence
1st Offense (Traffic Infraction)	Minimum $300 Maximum $500	Up to 15 Days
2nd Offense Within 5 years (Traffic Infraction)	Minimum $500 Maximum $750	Up to 30 Days
3rd Offense Within 10 years (Misdemeanor)	Minimum $750 Maximum $1,500	Up to 180 Days

Zero Tolerance Drivers Under 21 (DMV administrative finding of .02 to .07 Blood Alcohol Content [BAC])
	Civil Penalty	Added Fee
1st Offense	Minimum $125	$100 Suspension Termination Fee
2nd Offense	Minimum $125	$100 Re-Application Fee

* Conviction fine only. Does not include mandatory conviction surcharge or crime victims assistance fee.

Mandatory Screening - If you are charged with or convicted of certain alcohol-related offenses, the courts will order alcohol screening and/or alcohol evaluation, prior to sentencing.

Contact an Experienced Suffolk County DWI-DUI Lawyer

In DWI-DUI proceedings, the sooner you retain a lawyer, the sooner we can start mounting an aggressive DWI-DUI defense and the better our changes of obtaining an acquittal or more favorable plea bargain.

It costs you nothing to arrange a free confidential consultation with us to discuss your drunk driving charges, and you are at no obligation to retain our services. For trusted legal counsel and aggressive representation, please schedule your consultation by calling 631-738-6761 today. If you prefer, you can also fill out our intake form (on the left side of the page), and we contact you to schedule a consultation.