In New York City, you might be more likely to travel by subway, bus, or taxi than in your own car. However, traffic issues governing vehicles such as cars and trucks are also clearly critical to making the city run smoothly. And the New York City Offices of the District Attorney views one such issue—the crime of Driving While Intoxicated, or DWI—very harshly. This criminal behavior is a focal point for law enforcement throughout the state of New York, and therefore each New York City DWI Lawyer you can talk to at Stephen Bilkis & Associates will counsel you to contact us to receive free guidance as soon as you can. We can help defend you against the DWI charges you might face in New York City, and advise you that those charges will likely be aggressively pursued.

DWI is a criminal act that will be rigorously prosecuted by the New York City Office of the District Attorney because of the fact that it will impair not only your judgment but also your coordination. In other words, it significantly affects your ability to safely operate a vehicle, and threatens other people. The blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, you have is the factor that determines whether or not you are technically DWI. Your BAC typically will depend on the following factors:

• The amount of alcohol you drank.
• The amount of food you ate before or during drinking.
• The amount of time over which you consumed the drinks.
• Your weight and your gender.

Operating a motor vehicle when you have a BAC equal to .08 or higher will mean that you've committed the criminal act of Driving While Intoxicated. This level will possibly be measured when the police officer who pulled you over asks to administer a breathalyzer test—to have you breathe into the breathalyzer. Any New York City DWI Lawyer will tell you that refusing to take this test won't on its own be considered criminal behavior. It also cannot automatically be seen as an admission of guilt on your part. However, if you refuse to take a breathalyzer, you do still face risks, as it might result in your driver's license being revoked.

Talk to a New York City Criminal Lawyer at Stephen Bilkis & Associates about your DWI case in New York City, whether you were pulled over in Manhattan, in its neighbor Brooklyn, in Richmond County (Staten Island), in the Bronx, or in Queens. We understand that often many of the people arrested on a charge of DWI do not have a previous criminal record. Maybe they simply had a drink too while unwinding after work. Regardless, a DWI conviction can put you in the position of confronting harsh consequences—hefty fines, losing your license, and sometimes even prison time.

Call 1800 NY NY LAW and we will meet with you for free. A no-cost initial session can be arranged with you in Manhattan (New York County), up in the Bronx, in Queens or in Brooklyn, and also on Staten Island. A New York City DWI Lawyer is also available for meetings with you on Long Island, in our Suffolk County office or, if you prefer, in our Nassau County office. And if you're in Westchester County, you can meet us in our location there.