Long Island Felony DWI Attorney

When a DWI a felony?

DWI can be charged as either a misdemeanor, which can impose jail sentences no higher than 1 year, or as a felony which can impose a sentence over a year, usually served in state prison. A first time DWI is charged as a misdemeanor in New York, although any additional DWI charges will be treated as felonies. There are also other factors that may play a role in the upgrade of a charge from misdemeanor to felony, and a knowledgeable Long Island DWI attorney can provide you with more information about your crime and how we will move forward with your defense.

Regardless of how many prior DWI convictions an individual has on record, the commission of a DWI when there is a passenger under 16 years of age in the vehicle will immediately upgrade your charge to a class E felony. This is also the felony class imposed with a second drunk driving offense, and can impose jail terms ranging anywhere from 5 days to 4 years. More than two DWI offenses are categorized as a class D felony which can increase jail terms to a minimum of 10 days to 7 years. Felony charges may include state prison, which is definitely not where you want to go.

Felony DWI Defense in Long Island

The consequences of a felony DWI are severe, and every attempt should be made by the accused to defend themselves against such damaging charges. Jacoby & Jacoby have deep experience in defending the rights of those charged with DWI throughout Long Island. Our firm focuses on working closely with clients to build the best possible case, and we will explore every option for your defense, including evaluating every piece of evidence that led to your arrest. We are committed to providing you with the highest level of representation. We fight for every advantage for our clients, and our tireless work can lead to a dismissed charge, a reduced charge or an acquittal when the case goes to trial.

Contact a Long Island DWI lawyer if you have been charged with felony DWI and would like a skilled legal professional to aggressively defend your case.