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If you’ve been convicted of driving while impaired (DWI) in Charlotte, there are a number of potential consequences you will face if convicted, including hefty fines, jail time, and the suspension of your driver’s license. DWI offenses in Mecklenburg County are typically charged as misdemeanors, but if you’ve been convicted of three or more prior DWI offenses within 10 years of your current DWI charge, then you will be facing a charge of habitual DWI. In this situation, your offense will be charged as a felony offense. The penalties for felony DWIs in Charlotte are severe, so it’s important to retain the assistance of a skilled criminal defense attorney if you find yourself facing a habitual DWI charge.
If you’re facing charges for habitual DWI in Charlotte, NC, call a DWI lawyer in Charlotte, NC at (980) 237-4579, or reach out online to schedule a free and confidential case consultation.
Per North Carolina General Statute (NCGS) § 20-138.1, you can be found guilty of impaired driving if you’ve lost normal function of your mental and/or physical capacities after consuming an impairing substance, if you’ve drank enough alcohol to put yourself over the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit, and if there is any amount of a Schedule I controlled substance in your body.
If you are 21 or over, your BAC limit is .08 percent. If you are a CDL driver who was operating a commercial vehicle at the time of your stop, your BAC limit is .04 percent. If you are under the age of 21, you are not legally permitted to have any amount of alcohol in your system.
Most DWIs in Charlotte are charged as misdemeanors. These offenses fall on a sliding sentencing scale, meaning the punishments for such crimes will increase or decrease, depending on which level of DWI for which you are sentenced. If you have previously been charged with multiple DWIs, however, you will likely be charged with a felony. The main factor that leads to charges for habitual DWI in Charlotte is three or more prior convictions for drunk driving within 10 years of your current charge. If you have past DWIs on your record within this lookback period, you will be classified as a class F felon in North Carolina, and you will be subject to the harsh penalties that come from such a conviction.
The consequences for any DWI conviction can greatly affect every aspect of your life, but the punishments you face for this offense in Charlotte, NC are much harsher, and even mandatory. If found guilty of a felony DWI in Mecklenburg County, you face:
In addition to felony DWI jail time and fines, a habitual DWI in Charlotte brings with it the following collateral consequences:
When you’re facing a felony DWI conviction in Mecklenburg County, there are a number of defenses your habitual DWI attorney may use, such as:
Lack of Reasonable Suspicion
In order to be pulled over for DWI in Charlotte, a police officer must have reasonable suspicion that you are engaging in criminal activity. They cannot stop you without a legal basis. If you were not driving erratically, swerving on the road, improperly switching lanes, or engaging in other behavior that might have indicated you were driving while impaired, then our felony DWI attorneys will argue that the arresting officer in your case did not possess the reasonable suspicion to stop you.
Lack of Probable Cause
An officer must have probable cause to arrest you. This means that there must be facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that you were driving while impaired. This may include officer observations of the vehicle in erratic motion that indicates intoxication of the driver, personal contact with you and observation of indicators of intoxication, failure of standard field sobriety tests, or failure of a preliminary breath test at the roadside. Without probable cause, the officer cannot legally arrest you.
Improper Administration of BAC Tests
BAC tests administered both roadside and at a police station are not immune to error. A breath test administered at the site of your stop must be properly calibrated in order to get an accurate reading. The same sort of breath test at a police station can also produce inaccurate results if the machine is not properly maintained or the test is not administered as it is meant to be. Blood tests, while more accurate than measuring one’s BAC with their breath, are also prone to error. Regardless of the method of testing law enforcement used to measure your BAC, the felony DWI lawyers at our firm will argue that there is a strong possibility that the results may be flawed.
Involuntary Intoxication
It is possible to involuntarily drink alcohol or consume impairing substances. For example, if you are out with friends and someone spikes your non-alcoholic drinks, you could continue drinking them, not knowing they contain alcohol or drugs. If you unknowingly consumed an amount of alcohol that caused you to drive while impaired, our Charlotte DWI attorneys will argue that you were unaware that your beverages were spiked, and that you should not be held accountable for another person’s actions.
The above are only a few defenses for habitual DWI in Charlotte. If you’re facing felony charges for DWI in Charlotte, call Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys at (980) 237-4579 to learn how our skilled felony DWI lawyers may defend you throughout the legal process.
If you’re labeled as a habitual DWI offender in Charlotte, NC, your life will be greatly affected. You will lose out on employment and education opportunities, you will serve mandatory time behind bars, and you will have to pay hefty fines for your criminal actions. As concerns regarding your future run through your mind, let the Charlotte DWI attorneys from Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys help you. With nearly three decades of combined criminal defense experience, and with a lawyer certified by the National College of DUI Defense, we have the skills necessary to aggressively defend you.
For a free, initial evaluation of your case, call us today at (980) 237-4579 or contact us online.
