If you were arrested and charged with a DUI in Rocky Mount, Northcarolina or a neighboring City, please call the 1-800 number below to get in contact with an experienced DUI attorney to fight your case.

1-800-420-9444

Rocky Mount, North Carolina DWI Criminal Defense Attorney

If you find yourself arrested for DWI (Driving While Intoxicated), there can be serious repercussions, including jail time, loss of driving privileges, and monetary fines. To understand your options, it is vital you talk to a DWI attorney in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.If you are charged with a DWI, you should seek the legal advice of a capable and skilled DWI criminal defense attorney. It is imperative that anyone facing such a charge understand what challenges they may encounter.

DWI Charges in Rocky Mount, North Carolina

Once you have been cited for a DWI, the state of North Carolina initiates two separate but simultaneous legal actions. There is a criminal action (in response to the ticket that was issued to you), and an administrative action (brought against your license by the Department of Motor Vehicles in North Carolina.)

While both actions can result in the loss of driving privileges in North Carolina, it is important to remember that there may be additional penalties to consider and each action must be handled on their own. If you were arrested for DWI (driving while intoxicated) in or around Rocky Mount, North Carolina, finding a capable and skilled DWI criminal defense attorney can help you get answers to your questions.

Administrative Hearing

Pursuant to North Carolina law, an individual has 10 days to complete and turn in paperwork for an administrative hearing from the Department of Motor Vehicles. If you do not make this deadline, your driver's license is automatically suspended for the statutory time frame applicable to your situation.

If you want to preserve your right to an administrative hearing, it is crucial that you submit your request to the North Carolina DMV within 10 days.

DWI Penalties for First Time Offenders

Refusal of Chemical DWI Test - Refusing to submit to a test when requested by police officers will result in the immediate loss of driving privileges for at least 30 (thirty) days, this is in addition to a minimum 12 (twelve) month revocation by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Depending on many factors, limited driving privileges may be allowed after six months.
Driving Privileges in North Carolina - A DWI conviction will result revocation of all driving privileges for one year.
CDL / Commercial Drivers - Commercial drivers are in violation of the DWI statute with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.04. A first time North Carolina DWI conviction will result in the loss of the commercial driver's license (CDL) for 1 year, while any subsequent DWI offenses will result in a lifetime loss of the commercial license.
Jail Time - A first time DWI offender can face imprisonment for 24 hours, up to a maximum of 24 months imprisonment.
Refusal of Chemical DWI Test - Refusing to submit to a test when requested by police officers will result in the immediate loss of driving privileges for at least 30 (thirty) days, this is in addition to a minimum 12 (twelve) month revocation by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Depending on many factors, limited driving privileges may be allowed after six months.

The Booze It & Lose It campaign in Rocky Mount, North Carolina targets drunk drivers by using innovative DWI education (and enforcement.) Throughout North Carolina, sobriety checkpoints are used as part of the state's highly effective anti-DWI campaign. Using 6 mobile breath-alcohol testing units (called BATMobiles), police officers increases efficiency of DWI processing on the scene. Each vehicle comes with workstations for Intoxilyzer 5000 breath test instruments, cellular telephones, traffic cones, traffic vests, computers, search batons, screening test devices and more.

DWI Subsequent Offenses

Penalties are increasingly more severe for DWI violations after the first one. Because DWI laws in North Carolina are complex, you may not be aware of your rights and the a lot of different defenses available in your case. For this reason, a capable and skilled criminal defense attorney can help guide you through this emotional process. Please contact a DWI criminal defense attorney for an immediate, free consultation.

DWI In North Carolina

North Carolina law requires that DWI offenders obtain a substance abuse assessment and complete the recommended intervention, which is either education or treatment. Sobriety checkpoints are continually set up in all North Carolina counties as part of the state's effective anti-drunk driving campaign. Between July 2006 and June 2007, over 28,000 North Carolinians completed these requirements after being convicted of a DWI.