What are all the consequences of being charged with drinking and driving?

There are bunch, this is a small sample and number 1 you could have a criminal record. The problem in New York City is there is no such thing as expungement so once you have a criminal record you’ll always have a criminal record. Besides that you are facing jail time. Besides that you could lose your car. If you are fortunate enough to get back your car, you have the pleasure of spending money with the city of New York or whichever agency is holding your car to get back your car.

Now, even if you get your car back I guarantee you that your insurance company is either going to increase your rate tremendously because you are no longer in the safe driving you are a liability and you’re a threat to the society because the fact that you‘re a drunk driver or they are just going to drop you. In which case you gonna have to use some other insurance company and there will be a notice about the fact that you were arrested for drinking and driving and they gonna charged you a lot more than your initial insure. Besides that the consequences the court may require you install which known as ignition and tune up device into your car. This could range from anywhere from 1,500 all the way up 6,000 dollars.

What this is, this is a device that you have to install on your car, which you’ll have the pleasure of paying and you have to blow in to this machine that is attached to your car every 20 minutes and what the machine is going to monitor is if you have any alcohol in your breath and if you do you’ll go to jail. Besides that the court may also require you to wear a scram bracelet. A scram bracelet is sort of like a little easy pass that you have to wear around your ankle and it will monitor for alcohol and or drugs. Court can require from 90 days up to 6 months and guess what you’re gonna be paying premium for that as well. Besides that you may also lose your license altogether, if you have a commercial driver’s license. Not only did you lose your license, you also lost your livelihood. Even if you are able to get your license back, you may only able to get a restricted license.

A restricted license is also called the conditional used license which means that you would only be able to use your license for certain exceptions such as work, medical necessity, child care, so guess what, if you’ve got caught driving at 3 am from a club with restricted license, you’re going to jail and it’s gonna cost you a lot more of your freedom, a lot more of your money. Besides that, even if you are able to get your car back, you gonna have to pay some type of fee to get your car back if you’re lucky enough. And guess what, while your car is in the impound lot and it get damaged so that’s gonna cost you money too.

Besides that forget the mandatory court quest and search charges as well as the fact that the Department of Motor vehicles is gonna charged you a small little price for you to have the privileged of getting your license back. Don’t forget about the cost for drug treatment programs either through your own union or through the court. Most importantly don’t forget about the criminal record as I mentioned. In New York state no such thing as expungement so once you’re stuck with that Mr. Minner, you’re always stuck with that Mr. Minner. But finally the scariest thing is that if you get stuck with the criminal record and you get rearrested then you’re going to be charged with the felony and if you’re convicted for felony Mandatory state Jail time as well as being known as a convicted felon for the rest of your life.

This is a transcription of an interview with James Medows.