At the direction of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York state is participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. It runs from Aug. 18 to Sept. 5 to coincide with the Labor Day holiday. During this period, both state and local police will work together to emphasize enforcement of impaired driving laws.
The state’s increased enforcement of drunk driving laws is part of a nationwide effort to make the roads safer during a particularly dangerous time of year for motorists. According to authorities, the Labor Day holiday is a period of increased traffic accidents and fatalities involving drunk or impaired drivers. Overall, roughly 33 percent of all traffic crash fatalities around the country involve a drunk driver.
Those who are facing a drunk driving charge may face a variety of penalties. It may be possible to spend time in jail, pay a fine or have a drivers license suspended or revoked entirely. If there are any aggravating factors in the case, a jail sentence could be upgraded to a prison sentence. Therefore, it may be worthwhile for an individual to contact an attorney who may be able to create one or more defenses to the charges.
For instance, it may be possible to argue that a traffic stop that led to DWI charges was conducted illegally. This may lead to key evidence being suppressed, which may make it more difficult for a prosecutor to prove his or her case. Legal counsel may also argue that blood or breath testing showed that a driver was under the legal blood alcohol limit when taken into custody. By casting doubt upon the evidence used to charge a driver, it may result in a charge being dropped or a favorable plea agreement being reached in the case.
