Consequences that can flow from a DWI arrest and prosecution include: loss of your driver’s license, heavy fines, court costs and extensive administrative fees, probation, jail or state prison, vehicle impoundment or forfeiture, an ignition interlock device put on your car, etc. 

Aside from the more obvious legal consequences of dealing with the police, the courts, and the Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”), there are practical consequences that often flow from a DWI arrest or conviction. Since DWI is a crime, and a DWI conviction will give you a permanent “criminal” record, you could lose your job or be prevented certain future employment – especially if it is State job, is law enforcement associated, or involves driving. If you are a commercial driver, you could lose your privilege to drive commercially for at least one year. A DWI conviction can cause your insurance rates to skyrocket; sometimes insurance companies will cancel your coverage altogether. There are other, “hidden” DWI penalties, such as limitations on travel outside of the state or abroad. A DWI prosecution and conviction may bring community service and substance abuse treatment.

After you’ve been charged with driving, boating, or snowmobiling under the influence of alcohol or drugs, it’s important for you to retain legal representation as soon as possible.

Some of your friends or loved ones may advise you to represent yourself in court, or to retain an attorney who does not concentrate their practice in DWI. However, given the deceptively complex nature of the charges, and their heavy consequences, you could find yourself without a driver’s license or in jail without really understanding what you (or your lawyer) did (or didn’t do) to place you in that situation.

You could accept a plea bargain that you shouldn’t accept under the circumstances. You could make a critical mistake that prevents you from getting your license back in a timely manner. Arrest and criminal records will generally remain for the rest of your life. Consequently, you could also spend the rest of your life learning the “hard way,” in hindsight, about the consequences of the potentially poor decisions you made without the benefit of competent DWI defense counsel. By that time, however, the damage will have already been done.