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North Carolina DWI (Driving While Intoxicated)

In North Carolina, it is illegal to drive a motor vehicle after having consumed enough alcohol that you have an alcohol concentration of .08 or higher or while you are under the influence of an impairing substance (i.e. drugs - whether legal or illegal). This alcohol concentration can be determined by breathalyzer test or a blood test, depending on the circumstances.

Most arrests for driving while intoxicated (DWI) result in a conviction. A conviction for a DWI is a misdemeanor and will result in a criminal record as well as an enormous increase in automobile insurance. If arrested, you are strongly encouraged to seek the advice and representation of an attorney. To be convicted, the prosecutor must prove the following things to the judge: (A jury does not become involved unless there is an appeal.)

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-138.1.html 3-24-05

IMMEDIATE REVOCATION OF DRIVERS LICENSE AFTER BEING CHARGED WITH DWI

After being charged with a DWI, your driver's license is immediately revoked for 30 days. After 10 days, you may be eligible for a limited driving privilege. Certain conditions must apply to you to be eligible for this privilege. Speak with an attorney or research the applicable laws in your jurisdiction.

To be convicted of a DWI, the prosecution must show that the officer had probable cause to stop you, probable cause to arrest you and must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were appreciably impaired. Below is an explanation of what the prosecutor must prove.

PROBABLE CAUSE TO STOP

The reason or probable cause that the officer had to stop you is a matter within the police officer's professional judgment. The officer could give almost any reason whatsoever for stopping you, such as speeding, crossing the yellow line, swerving, excessively slow driving, expired inspection or registration, etc. The officer's testimony that one of these reasons existed, based on his professional judgment and years of experience is usually enough for the judge to find that the police officer had probable cause to stop you.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-16.3A.html 3-24-05

PROBABLE CAUSE TO ARREST

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-139.1.html 3-24-05

FIELD SOBRIETY

After the police officer stops you, he must also have reason to suspect that you were driving after drinking or under the influence of an impairing substance to arrest you for DWI. To prove this, the officer will indicate in court his observations about your physical appearance and disposition such as slurred speech, red and glassy eyes, the odor of alcohol on your breath or that you appeared incoherent. The officer may also use at this point what is called field sobriety test. Field sobriety tests can include reciting the alphabet forward or backwards, the pencil to eye test, the hand to nose test, walking the yellow line forward and backwards, and any other number of other coordination type of tests that the officer may think will help to determine whether you have been drinking or under the influence of drugs.

ALCO-SENSOR

Another type of test that the officer may use to help determine whether you have been drinking or under the influence of drugs while driving is an alco-sensor. This is what some people call the mini breathalyzer. It is a miniature hand held machine that the officers carry in their vehicle to give them a rough blood alcohol concentration reading. If, after blowing into this machine, the reading is high enough, the officer may use this result in finding probable cause to arrest you. The officer cannot, however, use this result in substitution of doing the formal Breathalyzer test downtown.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Statutes/GeneralStatutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-16.3.html

IMPAIRMENT

Finally, to convict you of a DWI, the prosecutor must prove to the court beyond a reasonable doubt that you were appreciably impaired. Evidence of impairment includes your breathalyzer reading of a .08 or above and the results of the police officer's observations of you as well as the results of the field sobriety tests. In addition, the fact that you were in an accident, your car is in a ditch, etc., can also be used against you. If you were injured in an accident and are unable to do a breathalyzer test the police officer can request the hospital do a blood test to determine your blood alcohol content. If you refuse to allow a breathalyzer test or a blood test, then your driver's licenses will be administratively revoked for 1 year, no matter the result at the trial concerning your DWI. You can be convicted of a DWI without a breathalyzer or blood test as long as the police officer has enough evidence from his physical observations and field sobriety tests. Failure or refusal to take the Breathalyzer or blood test can be used against you at trial.

BREATHALYZER REFUSAL

There is an automatic revocation of driving privileges for a period of one year for a refusal to submit to the Breathalyzer when stopped for suspicion of a DWI. The person may be entitled to a hearing for a limited driving privilege six months into the revocation. The person must have had a valid driver's license or it had been expired for less than one year at the time of the charge. There can be no previous refusal or conviction of a DWI within the past seven years, no unresolved DMV issues pending, no pending DWI's and no convictions since the original charge, and no accident that resulted from death or critical injury to person. The underlying charge, which resulted in the refusal, must have been finally disposed of with no conviction or a conviction under the statute that allows a limited driving privilege, and person has done an alcohol assessment as required by law.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-16.2.html 3-24-05

PUNISHMENT FOR A DWI CONVICTION

Once you have been convicted of a DWI, there are five levels of punishment. Level one is the most serious level. This level is for people who have had one or more convictions in the past seven years, or who are driving with a license that has been revoked due to a prior DWI, or who are driving with a child less than 16 in the car, or who have caused serious personal injury to another because of their driving while impaired. Level five is the least serious punishment that you can receive and usually is given to first time offenders. This level is for a person who has no prior convictions for a DWI and has no aggravating factors with this DWI.

Aggravating factors are especially negative factors. Some aggravating factors include a very high breathalyzer reading of .16 or more, especially reckless driving, a bad traffic record that consists of at least two tickets in the past 5 years that resulted in 3 points or more on your DMV record, alluding arrest, property damage, speeding in excess of 30 mph or being uncooperative with the police officer, etc. When you blow .16 or higher on the Breathalyzer, then you will be required to have a ignition interlock system installed in your vehicle at a cost of several hundred dollars and a monthly monitoring fee.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-17.8.html 3-24-05

Mitigating factors are positive factors, which can be used to help balance out the negative factors. Mitigating factors can be slight impairment with an alcohol concentration not exceeding .09, driving safely at the time of the stop, a good driving record in the past 5 years, or voluntarily doing an alcohol assessment program at an approved facility before you go to court.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-179.html 3-24-05

Generally speaking, if there was no accident at the time of the arrest, you have no prior convictions for DWI, you were cooperative with the police officer, and the breathalyzer reading was between a .08 and about a .12, you are probably going to be found guilty of a level five.

COSTS, FINES, and COMMUNITY SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

Costs include $100.00 for court costs, a fine up to $200.00 for a Level Five offender, a $50.00 alcohol assessment fee, a $50.00 license restoration fee and a community service fee of $200.00. In addition to these immediate costs, you will have attorney fees and an increase of up to 450% on your insurance. For a Level Five offender, you have to do 24 hours of community service (within 30 days). Finally, you have to do an alcohol assessment program through an approved facility if you have not already done so before court.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-179.4.html 3-24-05

LICENSE REVOCATION FOLLOWING CONVICTION OF DWI

After going through the court process, paying fines and complying with all the other terms and conditions that the judge will impose on you, the next problem you have to face will be with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The DMV will revoke your license for a one-year period after you have been convicted of a DWI for a level Five. If you have not had any prior convictions, at the time you are in court before the judge, you or your attorney can request a limited driving privilege, if you meet the criteria. A limited driving privilege allows you to drive for the purposes of work, community service, court-ordered treatment and school in a limited specific geographic area during limited specific hours. A limited driving privilege will usually allow you to drive essentially from 6:00 am until 8:00 pm Monday through Friday within the conditions stated above. If you need to drive outside of these standard hours or on weekends, you would need special permission from the judge. Reasons for this variation might include your job or your family.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-17.html 3-24-05

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-17.2.html 3-24-05

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-179.3.html 3-24-05

If you have had a DWI conviction in the past seven years you are not eligible for limited driving privilege. A limited driving privilege is considered to be exactly that, a privilege. If you are caught driving outside of your hours, geographic region, assigned purpose or if you are driving with any amount of alcohol in your blood whatsoever, even as little as a .01 or .02, you can lose your limited driving privilege. The police officer only has to suspect you have been drinking. The level of proof is appreciably less than what was required for a conviction of a DWI. If you lose that privilege, you are not allowed to drive at all during the year that your license is revoked and you will be charged with driving while license is revoked.

INSURANCE INCREASE

Finally, the other consequence of your DWI conviction is the fact that your insurance will go up approximately 450% as a result of this conviction. This new insurance rate will remain in effect for the next three years following the conviction for the DWI. While you should shop around with other insurance companies to determine if you are going to get a better rate, you can expect to pay about 4 times what you had been paying for insurance.

HIRING AN ATTORNEY

Because of the serious nature of a DWI arrest and the potential for jail terms, loss of license, heavy fines, and a criminal record, it is advisable to be represented by an attorney during the court proceedings. You always have the right to hire your own attorney. The attorney's fee will vary according to the attorney and the seriousness of the offense. The advantage to hiring your own attorney is you get to choose who that attorney will be. You also have the option to request a court appointed attorney. To qualify for a court appointed attorney, you must complete an Affidavit of Indigency, showing your income and your expenses. If after completing this form, the judge decides that you cannot afford an attorney, he can appoint one from a list of attorneys that do court appointed work. You have no voice in who the judge will appoint to represent you.

Due to the seriousness of the offense, the NC general Statutes make it extremely difficult to plea bargin a DWI to a lesser offense or to just dismiss the charges outright. You will need an attorney to assist you in dealing with the legal proceeding.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-138.4.html 3-24-05

SPECIAL PROVISION FOR DRIVERS UNDER 21

It is illegal in North Carolina, for a driver under the age of 21 to drive while consuming alcohol or with any level of alcohol in their system. Even if the driver blows much less than .08, such as .01 or .02, the driver can be charged with a violation of this law. This law is punished the same as a DWI. Thus, the driver would be subject to a license revocation, insurance increase, and the same levels of punishment as discussed above.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-138.3.html 3-24-05

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-13.2.html 3-24-05

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-17.6.html 3-24-05