Driving while intoxicated is a serious charge. Further, there are a few areas of criminal law where your civil rights are under as much threat. In North Carolina, you do not currently face the same no-refusal laws as you might in other states. However, there still...
DWI Defense
Can I get a DWI if I am driving because of an emergency?
While you may do your best to avoid getting behind the wheel after you have had a few to drink, you may find yourself in a situation where you feel that there is no other choice. In a life-threatening situation, for example, you may decide that driving to the hospital...
How much does a DWI increase auto insurance in North Carolina?
A North Carolina conviction for driving while impaired may take a personal and professional toll on you, and it often takes a large financial one, too. As a first-time DWI offender, you may have to pay hundreds of dollars in fines. You may also have to pay for other...
Are field sobriety test results a true indication of inebriation?
The answer to this question is a resounding NO. The Standard Field Sobriety Test that law enforcement officers ask you to take when they pull you over for suspected drunk driving actually consists of three separate exercises that test your eye movements and your...
What should drivers know about breath alcohol tests?
If law enforcement stops you on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, they may ask you to submit to a breath alcohol test. By blowing into the mouthpiece of a handheld device, the authorities get immediate measurement of your blood alcohol concentration...
Contesting the accuracy of breath test devices
The law considers North Carolina drivers over 21 years of age with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or above, legally drunk. Statutes for commercial drivers are somewhat more stringent, at 0.04%. For a conviction, officers must test BAC and prove the person behind the...
Can I fight a DWI breath test result and avoid incarceration?
When a portable roadside device shows you have a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or more, an officer can arrest and charge you with DWI. If you believe that a faulty test result caused your arrest, however, you may argue your case in court. Law enforcement officials...
North Carolina is one of the worst states for DWIs
There is not a single state in America that does not have problems linked to driving under the influence. Even states that still have dry counties struggle to keep drunk drivers off the road. Even so, in some areas, DWIs may be a more common occurrence than others....