Unless a person is under 21 years of age, the mere act of driving after consuming alcohol is not illegal in New York.

In fact, New York DWI laws recognize that the average person can consume a certain amount of alcohol without impairing his ability to drive as he should. So much so, that the New York DWI laws provide that proof of .05 or less of blood alcohol content (“BAC”) is a presumption that the driver was not impaired or intoxicated.

Importantly, some people’s driving abilities may be affected by even a small amount of alcohol consumption and, therefore, would be guilty of driving while impaired while others would not. Driving while ability impaired, or DWAI is the law that takes into account the “subjective” tolerance of individuals in determining the ability to drive by that particular person.

Of course, if a driver has .08 blood alcohol content (“BAC”), then he can automatically be charged with DWI in New York.

If you think you are being charged with DWI for drinking and driving in Nassau County or New York, but you weren’t actually intoxicated, contact the Law Office of Richard Hochhauser, PLLC, today!

VTL § 1192(3) is commonly referred to as “common law DWI.” In essence, it means to drive drunk. No proof of your blood alcohol content, or BAC, is required to sustain a charge of common law DWI in New York.

If you refuse to submit to a chemical test or breath test in Nassau County, New York, then you will almost certainly be charged with common law DWI. Especially in Nassau County, it is nearly impossible for a defendant who refuses to submit to a chemical or breath test to only be charged with DWAI, which is the violation.

Common law DWI is based upon whether your driving, appearance, demeanor, manner of speech, motor coordination, performance on field sobriety tests, etc. establish that you were intoxicated. Not all of the symptoms of intoxication must be present; nor is erratic driving a requirement. Rather, New York law explains the totality of the circumstances must lead to the conclusion that the defendant “voluntarily consumed alcohol to the extent that he is incapable of employing the physical and mental abilities which he is expected to possess in order to operate a vehicle as a reasonable and prudent driver.”

Therefore, to sustain a charge of common law DWI, you must actually appear intoxicated. Thus, if you have a higher tolerance for alcohol than the average person, then this is an argument that can be used in your defense to a common law DWI charge.

If you’ve been charged with common law DWI in Nassau County, call DWI Lawyer Richard Hochhauser for your free consultation.

In short, no.

In New York, DWI charges (as opposed to DUI) only apply to being intoxicated by alcohol to the extent that the driver is incapable of employing the physical and mental abilities which he is expected to possess in order to operate a vehicle as a reasonable and prudent driver.

To be charged with driving while intoxicated in York, you must be “intoxicated” by the consumption of alcohol, more specifically an alcoholic beverage, including spirits, wine, liquor, beer, cider, and every liquid containing alcohol and capable of being consumed by a human being.

If you think you have been charged with DWI when you were not intoxicated by an alcoholic beverage, contact Nassau County DWI attorney Richard Hochhauser.

While you cannot be charged with attempting to drive while intoxicated, you can plea to a reduced charged of attempting to driving while intoxicated.

If you have been falsely charged with DWI, contact top rated Nassau County DWI Attorney Richard Hochhauser for a free consultation.

In New York, there are very narrow circumstances where you can argue that you were justified in driving while intoxicated. Examples of justification may include (i) if you were forced to drive while intoxicated under emergency circumstances such as a danger to your life; and (ii) if the police made you drive when you otherwise would not have.
If you believe you may have a valid justification defense, contact Nassau County DWI Lawyer Richard Hochhauser today for a free consultation.

VTL § 1192(2) is commonly referred to as “per se DWI.” The charge is called “per se” because it makes it illegal for a person to drive with a BAC of .08% or more regardless of whether such BAC rendered the person “intoxicated” (as opposed to “common law” which only focuses on whether the person is “intoxicated.”

In New York, it is possible for you to have a .08, and not be found to be in an intoxicated condition. Similarly, you can be found to be in an intoxicated condition even if you are below a .08 BAC.
For “per se” DWI in New York, it does not matter whether you have a higher or lower tolerance for alcohol; all that matters is what is your blood alcohol content.

While it is “per se” illegal to drive with a .08, it is important to note that the .08 must be proven when you were driving. In most DWI cases in Nassau County and New York, the breath test is not taken until hours after the individual was pulled over. Therefore, there is always a possible defense that the driver’s blood alcohol content was lower when he was driving than when the test was given. In this case, a Nassau County DWI Lawyer would attempt to convince the jury that although you were a .08 when you took the test, you were actually below the legal limit when you driving.

If you believe that you were below a .08 while you were driving, contact Nassau County DWI Lawyer Richard Hochhauser for a free consultation.

VTL § 1192(2-a) is commonly referred to as “Aggravated DWI.”

There are two types of Aggravated DWI. The first type, per se Aggravated DWI, makes it illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a BAC of .18% or more.

The second type of Aggravated DWI makes it illegal to violate any DWI offense with a child under the age of 16 in the vehicle. This offense is known as “Leandra’s Law” in New York. A Leandra’s Law violation is a felony, even for a first offense.

If you have been charged with Aggravated DWI or Leandra’s Law in New York, call Valley Stream DWI Attorney Richard Hochhauser for your free consultation.

There is no question that a DWI lawyer in New York can be costly. However, the top rated Nassau County DWI lawyers at the Law Office of Richard Hochhauser, PLLC always charges flat fees for its services – so you always know what to expect and will never be surprised or approached for more money. We continue working until the job is done!

The most common felony DWI charges in New York result from a defendant who is charged with DWI, DUI, or aggravated DWI, and has a misdemeanor or felony DWI conviction within the preceding 10 years, in which case the defendant is charged with an E felony.

If the defendant has two prior DWI convictions within the preceding 10 years, he can be charged with a Class D felony.

If a defendant has three or more DWI related convictions within the preceding 15 years, he can be charged with a Class D felony.

If you’ve been charged with felony DWI in New York, contact top rated Nassau County DWI Lawyer Richard Hochhauser to discuss your case.

VTL § 1192(8) provides that a prior out-of-state conviction for DWI or DUI will count as a prior conviction for felony purposes, if “had it occurred in this state, [it] would have constituted a misdemeanor or felony violation” of DWI or DUI.

If, however, the out-of-state conduct would only have been considered a DWAI in New York (regardless of the level of offense out-of-state), then such conduct shall only be deemed to be a prior conviction of a violation of [VTL § 1192(1)].

For example, even if you have a “misdemeanor” conviction in another state, but that misdemeanor was a result of a .07 BAC, then that “misdemeanor’ will not count as a misdemeanor for felony upgrade purposes in New York.

if you have a prior out of state DWI conviction in New York, contact Nassau County DWI Lawyer Richard Hochhauser to see if your case is considered a felony or a misdemeanor.

New York Pattern Jury Instructions provide for the following 2 elements for a DWI per se charge:

1. That on or about (date), in the county of (County), the defendant, (defendant’s name), operated a motor vehicle; and

2. That the defendant did so when he/she had .08 of one per centum or more by weight of alcohol in his/her blood, as shown by a chemical analysis of such person’s blood, breath, urine, or saliva.

The New York Pattern Jury Instructions provide for the following 2 elements for DWI common law charge:

1. That on or about (date), in the county of (County), the defendant, (defendant’s name), operated a motor vehicle; and

2. That the defendant did so while in an intoxicated condition.

It is important to have a DWI lawyer who understands each and every element of a New York DWI charge. Contact the experienced DWI attorneys at the Law Office of Richard Hochhauser, PLLC today.

A “PBT” is a portable breath test. In New York and Nassau County, most officers carry a PBT in their vehicles. The PBT is a handheld breathalyzer that is used on the side of the road at the time of the arrest. The purpose of the PBT is to help the officers establish probable cause.

Importantly, however, the PBT reading may not be used against you at trial. The only BAC reading that can be used at trial is the reading that is obtained if/when you submit a breath sample back at the police station or barracks.

Still, there is a conflicting case law as to whether your refusal to submit to the PBT on the side of the road can be used against you at trial.

If you have a high PBT reading or refused the PBT on the side of the road, contact Nassau County DWI attorney Richard Hochhauser for a free consultation to discuss the nuances of your cases.

Interestingly, erratic driving is not an element of DWI in New York. Thus, even if someone is not driving erratically, they can still be convicted of DWI. Still, if someone’s driving is unaffected by alcohol, it provides a strong defense to a DWI charge.

if you are charged with DWI, but your driving was unaffected by any impairment, contact Nassau County DWI lawyer Richard Hochhauser to fight your case.

The New York pattern jury instructions dictate that:

“A person is in an INTOXICATED condition when such person has consumed alcohol to the extent that he or she is incapable, to a substantial extent, of employing the physical and mental abilities which he or she is expected to possess in order to operate a vehicle as a reasonable and prudent driver.”

While there is no single factor that dictates whether someone qualifies as intoxicated, the New York courts have provided an outline of examples of factors, including:

1. The defendant’s physical condition and appearance, balance and coordination, and manner of speech;
2. the presence or absence of an odor of alcohol;
3. the manner in which the defendant operated the motor vehicle;
4. opinion testimony regarding the defendant’s sobriety;
5. the circumstances of any accident; and
6. the results of any test of the content of alcohol in the defendant’s blood.

No. In New York, it is well established that a person can be intoxicated with a BAC below .08%, and can have a BAC above .08% without being intoxicated. It is important to understand that just because you blow a .08%, does not necessarily mean that you are intoxicated. Additionally, there are many defenses to show that the BAC reading is artificially high.

Importantly, the government must also prove that you were a .08% while you were driving. Experienced DWI lawyers know when your intoxicated was on the rise, and thus argue that when you blew you were a .08, while you were driving, you were actually below a .08 BAC.

If you blew at least a .08% but were not intoxicated, call the New York DWI Lawyers at the Law Office of Richard Hochhauser, PLLC, for a free consultation to discuss your best defense.

No. The law in New York is well established that a “layman” or the average person, has the experience to tell whether someone is intoxicated. Consider being at a bar – you don’t need any special training to determine whether someone there is intoxicated. Therefore, you will often find that the New York police will all describe the same boilerplate signs of intoxication: red and watery eyes, the odor of an alcoholic beverage, unsteadiness, slurred speech.

Certainly, there are valid defenses to each of these allegations. For instance, red eyes can be caused by allergies; odor of alcohol can be caused by only one beer, unsteadiness would be expected from a police stop at 2 a.m., and the police are unfamiliar with your normal speech.

If you are alleged to exhibit these signs or others, call the Nassau County DWI Lawyer Richard Hochhauser to navigate your defense today!

The definition of Driving While Impaired in New York is whether your consumption of alcohol actually impaired, to any extent, the physical and mental abilities which you are expected to possess in order to operate a vehicle as a reasonable and prudent driver.

The two key elements to this charge are that while the bar of impairment is quite a law – “to any extent” the government must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the alcohol actually impaired your ability to drive. In other words, merely showing that you drank is not enough. There must be some nexus between drinking and your ability to drive.

Call the Nassau County DWI Lawyers at the Law Office of Richard Hochhauser, PLLC to evaluate your Driving While Impaired case.

Absolutely not. While the smell of alcohol can be a factor that the police use against you, the odor alone is not enough to convict you of driving while intoxicated. Importantly, it is impossible to tell how much a person drank from the odor of alcohol alone. It is also important to note that “alcohol” itself has no odor; rather, the alcoholic beverages which we consume have a familiar odor.

If you are alleged to have been asked to submit to a breath test because you smell like alcohol, contact DWI attorney Richard Hochhauser for a free consultation.

In New York, a person also OPERATES a motor vehicle when such person is sitting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle for the purpose of placing it in operation, and when the motor vehicle is moving, or even if it is not moving, the engine is running.

Thus, if the vehicle was not being driven at the time you were arrested, then the prosecutor must prove that you were either previously driving while intoxicated, or that your intent was to drive soon thereafter.

If you were charged with DWI and the car was parked, there are many defenses available to you. Contact Nassau County DWI lawyers at the Law Office of Richard Hochhauser, PLLC.

Not necessarily. Even though you may blow a .08, that does not necessarily mean you were a .08 while you driving. Oftentimes, one’s blood alcohol content is still on the rise. Therefore, while you may have been a .08 at the police station, you also may have been below the limit while you were actually driving.

Cases such as these require a careful review of the timeline and when and how much you had to drink.

Contact Nassau County DWI Lawyer Richard Hochhauser to review your timeline.

In New York, there are a number of ways to suppress a chemical breath test and prevent it from being used at trial. The most common mechanism is to due a hearing where the officer has to testify that there was requisite probable cause to arrest you and request that you provide a breath sample.

If the officer lacked the requisite cause to ask you to blow or to arrest you, then the breath reading would be considered the “fruit of the poisonous tree,” and the government will not be able to use the reading against you.

To learn whether your breath reading can be suppressed, contact Nassau County DWI attorney Richard Hochhauser.

No. While there are consequences for refusing to take the breath test, you have a statutory right to refuse to take the test. If you refuse, the police cannot force you to give a sample absent a court order.

Contact the DWI Lawyers at the Law Office of Richard Hochhauser, PLLC to discuss your case.