Greenville DWI Attorney

Experienced North Carolina DWI Defense Lawyer

Being arrested for DWI or DUI can be frightening and confusing. Under North Carolina law, it is possible to receive up to 2 years in prison for a DWI charge.  In addition, you can lose your license, pay high fines, pay outrageous insurance rates, and be required to perform community service and complete an alcohol treatment program. 

Most people never have any reason to inquire about the rights that a person has who is  pulled over for DWI.  You are not required to answer the questions on the alcohol information report which generally asks you questions about where you were, where you were going,  what you had to drink, when you last ate, and then has you estimate the correct time of the day or night without referring to your watch and other similar questions.  Your answers to these questions can certainly have a negative impact on your defense of the charges against you.  Do not ever be rude to the officer, but you may always politely decline to answer those questions.

You also have the right to politely refuse to perform the field sobriety tests which can also be used as evidence against you as the State tries to prove that your physical and mental faculties were appreciably impaired. 

In general, if you have been arrested for DWI, be polite but refrain from answering questions regarding how much you have had to drink, where you are going to and where you are coming from. You may unintentionally, in the way you answer, incriminate yourself. You also have the right to an attorney – make sure you use this right.

DWI Laws in North Carolina

In North Carolina, a person has committed “impaired driving” if he or she is driving a motor vehicle under the following circumstances:

• While under the influence of an “impairing substance”
• With a blood concentration of .08 or above, per a chemical analysis of the driver’s alcohol concentration
• Under the influence of any controlled substance classified as a Schedule 1 substance (such as heroin, peyote, morphine or MDMA)

If found guilty of impaired driving as described above, you can be convicted of a misdemeanor offense, which is punishable by up to 2 years in prison. Additional penalties will apply for blood concentrations of .15% or above, if an accident, injury or death was involved or if there was a minor in the car. Prior DWI offenses will also negatively affect the penalties you may face.

If you have been accused of DWI / DUI, be sure to consult a skilled DWI attorney who can effectively assert your rights and assist you in defending against DWI charges.  The experienced Greenville DWI attorneys at Burch Law Office are ready to put their knowledge, skill, and dedication to work for you.

Contact Greenville DWI attorney Timothy E. Burch today!