Caplan & Tamburino Law Firm, P.A. is proud that our very own, Attorney Joe Tamburino appeared on WCCO radio last night to discuss the developments in the new DWI laws. Effective August 1, 2015, anyone who is caught driving with a blood-alcohol content measuring over .16% will be considered having committed a gross misdemeanor. This percentage is quite lower than what the current law states qualifies as a gross misdemeanor, which is a blood-alcohol content of .20%.
What are the possible penalties under the new DWI law?
Attorney Tamburino shared his insight on last night’s program about the new laws is that it will not necessarily affect repeat offenders or those who are habitually caught driving drunk. He reported that a large number of the DWI cases he defends are first-time offender cases, from the average, everyday citizen with no prior criminal history.
These individuals drive home from a wedding party or after a holiday celebration. A person may consume anywhere between 6-7 drinks over the course of the night, which may equate to a blood-alcohol percentage of .16%. These individuals are then slammed with a DWI—these are the ones whom Attorney Tamburino believes will be placed in a position that they would not normally have been placed in prior.
Those arrested under the new law may face the following penalties if convicted:
- Driver’s license suspension for 1 year
- Possible jail time for up to 1 year
- Gross misdemeanor level violation
According to Attorney Tamburino, to reinstate the privilege to drive, the individual must install an Ignition Interlock Device on their vehicle, which bars an individual from driving their car unless they pass a breathalyzer test attached to the device. He points out that the individual takes on the cost of installation and renting the device, tacked on to fines from the state, as well as possibly double the insurance rate hikes place an immense amount of financial strain on those individuals.
They will also need to switch out their license plates to “W” plates, also known as whiskey plates. These plates begin with the letter, “W,” and will automatically identify a habitual DWI offender or a first-time offender whose blood-alcohol content measured over .16% when they were arrested.
Our board-certified attorney is here to help!
We at Caplan & Tamburino Law Firm, P.A. want to make sure that you are prepared when the DWI laws take effect. The last thing you want to have happen is to be caught unaware. Protect yourself and call our Minnesota DWI attorneys today for legal counsel! We have been behind hundreds of jury trials, with a successful and proven track record. We are also led by a board-certified attorney, Joe Tamburino.
We are prepared to answer any and all answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us now!