Potential Consequences of Getting a DWI in New York City
Driving while intoxicated in New York City is a serious offense that could result in numerous legal and personal consequences. For instance, you may be required to spend time in jail or pay a mandatory fine whether or not you have been convicted of this crime before. You could also lose your drivers license, which could make it harder to live a normal life.
Legal Fees and Other Expenses Could Exceed $1,000
By the time you factor in legal fees, fines and other court costs, you could pay more than $1,000 just to have your case heard. After your case is resolved, you may need to pay to have your car removed from an impound lot, pay for court mandated driver education courses and deal with increased insurance costs.
You May Be Required to Seek Help for Alcohol Dependency
As part of your sentence, it may be necessary to seek help for an addiction to alcohol. This will cost you both time and money that you may not have after your conviction. It may also make it difficult to retain your current position at work or engage in other activities that could generate an income for yourself and others who may be dependent on you.
It May be Impossible to Finish School or Keep Your Job
Without the ability to drive yourself to work, you may need to look to someone else to drive you or rely on public transportation. However, if you work outside of the city or cannot afford to pay to ride the subway each day, you may not be able to get to school or work. If you can’t get to school or get to work on time, you may find that you are kicked out of school or fired by your employer. Without any means to support yourself, you may need to move and potentially put distance between yourself and your kids.
The DWI Will Be Part of the Public Record
When you apply for a job, public assistance or to enroll in school, you generally need to disclose your past DWI. Therefore, if you do lose your job or are forced to drop out of school, it could be harder to get back on your feet. As you have a DWI on your record, it may not be possible to get a commercial license to drive a truck or find work that involves any type of regular driving duty.
You Could Damage Your Relationship With Your Former Spouse and Kids
If you are divorced, a DWI may be used as proof that you can’t be trusted with your children. Without a job or the ability to pursue an education, you may not be able to provide a safe place for them to stay or pay child support. Therefore, you could be in danger of seeing your kids infrequently or not having them in your life at all.
Drinking and driving is never a good decision. Even if you aren’t caught, you still put yourself and other drivers at risk for getting hurt or killed. If you are caught, you run the risk of ruining your finances, losing the ability to advance in your career or even lose your freedom for a period of time.