What You Need To Know About DWI Charges

If you are facing drunk driving charges, the most important thing for you to know is that you deserve a defense. You are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. With a skilled DWI defense attorney, and a smart defense strategy, you can minimize the damage these charges can do to your life.

Our attorney, Larry R. Koss, has been practicing law for more than 40 years in Brockport and throughout western New York. He has helped hundreds of clients in nearly all kinds of criminal defense matters. Every case is different, just as every client is different, but chances are good that we have worked with a set of facts like yours, and we know the best strategies and procedures that can help you secure a better result.

Serious Penalties

The penalties that come with a DWI conviction in New York are serious. Even a first-time offender may have his or her license revoked for six months and face a fine of up to $1,000. A first-time offender, charged with an Aggravated DWI can pay as much as $2,500. In especially tough cases, a conviction for a first DWI offense can carry a jail sentence of up to a year.

The consequences don’t stop there. With your license revoked, you may be unable to get to work. If you are ordered to install an ignition interlock device, the expense will come mostly out of your pocket, and there is no guarantee it will work properly. Once you have your license back, your insurance rates will almost certainly go up.

Most seriously, your conviction will stay on your record for years. Should you be convicted of a second offense — even if it happens many years after the first — you may be tried as a repeat offender, and face much harsher penalties.

Defense Strategies

When we defend clients against DWI charges, we ask them to describe the circumstances of their arrest in detail. We also read the police report and search out any other evidence we can find, looking for indications that the police did not follow proper procedure.

If the police overstepped their authority during the arrest, we may be able to suppress some of the evidence the authorities were planning to use against you. We also investigate the possibility that breath tests or other evidence is faulty and unreliable.

In many cases, we have been able to weaken prosecutors’ evidence, helping our clients to successfully defend against the charges.

Contact Us

If you need a lawyer with skill and experience in criminal defense, including DWI defense, contact Larry R. Koss today by calling 585-431-2677 or sending an email to our office.

We will meet with clients in jail or wherever necessary.