Senin, 29 September 2014

What Can Happen After Receiving A DWI Charge In Gastonia, North Carolina

By Lakota R. Denton


Most people don't know that receiving a DWI charge in Gastonia, NC can have many lasting effects. Not only can you receive criminal punishments, but it can also include costly fees and and a revocation of your driving privileges.

For many, the most challenging aspect of a DWI is losing your driving privileges. Initially, you are faced with an automatic thirty-day Civil Revocation period. It is possible after ten days to receive a limited driving privilege that would allow you to drive for certain purposes, such as school and work, but after the thirty day period, your license is in effect until the DWI has been legally resolved by the court. Phase two of the license revocation begins if and when you are convicted of the DWI. An individual who is found guilty of a DWI will lose their license for 1 year, starting immediately after the conviction. At that time, it is again possible to obtain another limited driving privilege (to allow you to commute to work, school etc.) for the duration of that one year period.

After either pleading guilty or being convicted of a DWI, an individual is going to be faced with a variety of costs. First, the judge will issue a fine for being found guilty of a DWI. This fine could range anywhere from $200 for a first-time offense to up to $10,000 for a felony DWI (typically a DWI that involves a death or a repeat DWI offender). Additionally, on top of the fine, the individual will also have to pay court costs. Since each court has their own individual procedure for determining court costs, this fee is hard to predict. However, it is generally several hundred dollars. Additionally, there may be miscellaneous costs associated with a DWI such as: fees for alcohol assessments and treatment, limited driving privilege fees, and license reinstatement fees.

If a person is convicted of a DWI in North Carolina, their car insurance provider is legally allowed to raise that person's insurance by up to 400%. The insurance company does this not only to protect its own business interests (people with DWI are more of a financial risk), but also due to the fact that a DWI conviction puts 12 insurance points on a person's record. Because earning one insurance point on a driving record through a speeding ticket increases insurance rates, twelve points makes insurance rates skyrocket. Additionally, these points will remain on the person's driving record for a three-year period (as long as no additional points are levied during that time period).

The experienced criminal defense attorneys at Minick Law can help you or someone you know navigate your DWI case in reaching the best outcome. Contact them today for a free consultation.






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