A drunk driving conviction in the state of New York can have serious consequences for the driver involved. In the case of a conviction, the driver not only faces a driver’s license suspension but may also face jail time, higher insurance premiums and possible vehicle surcharges. A strong DWI defense can help drivers avoid such penalties or lead to a resolution that doesn’t involve a permanent criminal record, as is the case with the New York Giants’ David Diehl.
The 32-year-old NFL offensive lineman recently plead guilty to aggravated DWI and driving while impaired in connection with a June 2012 car accident in New York. During the incident, Diehl struck two parked cars with his BMW. A policeman who responded to the accident reported that Diehl showed signs of intoxication and admitted that he was driving after having spent time at a bar. His blood-alcohol content reading was .182 percent, which is above the state’s legal limit.
Diehl will be supervised by the court for six months as a result of the plea, have to spend 90 days wearing an alcohol-monitoring bracelet, pay restitution to the car owners for damages of up to $1,200 and participate in a first-time DWI offender awareness program. If he completes the terms of his sentence, however, the aggravated DWI charge will be dismissed, and the driving while impaired charge will be conditionally discharged after a year.
Residents of New York have a choice to either proceed to trial or negotiate a plea bargain when facing DWI charges. A strong defense can help in either situation, either by beating the charges entirely or by negotiating a bargain that results in the least amount of long-term damage to the defendant possible.
Source: My Fox NY, “Giants’ Diehl pleads guilty to drunken driving in Queens,” Arun Kristian Das, Feb. 11, 2013
