We are at the start of the holidays, a festive season for all, with parties, family get-togethers, and good times with friends. The food will be abundant and the drinks will be flowing. The food may affect your waistline, but the drinks are more serious. Drinking and driving can have dire consequences.
According to national statistics, drunk driving is responsible for 32% of all car crashes involving fatalities, and kills approximately 13,000 people every year in the U.S.
The Penalties Can Be Severe.
A DUI conviction carries substantial penalties, which may include jail time, loss of license, fees and fines, and a permanent criminal record that will negatively affect you for the rest of your life.
The District Attorney’s Offices in Massachusetts make OUI/DUI/DWI, or Drunken Driving offenses, a priority and vigorously prosecute these cases. In 2004, the Massachusetts State Legislature changed the ten-year look-back provision of the OUI statute to a LIFETIME LOOK BACK. If you have been convicted of an OUI offense in the past, (even if it was 25 years ago) a new offense will be charged as a SECOND offense.
Melanie’s Law
Melanie’s Law increased the penalties for Breathalyzer Test refusals. If you are charged with a drunk driving OUI SECOND offense and you refuse to take the Breathalyzer Test, the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will SUSPEND YOUR LICENSE for three (3) years. This loss of license occurs even before you have been convicted.
Massachusetts DUI Penalties:
First Offense
Fine: up to $5,000
Jail: up to 2½ years
Driver’s license suspension: up to 1 year
Second Offense
Fine: up to $10,000
Jail: 30 days to 2½ years
Driver’s license suspension: up to 2 years
Installation of Ignition Interlock Device
A DUI Conviction Causes Family Hardship and Employment Problems.
In addition to legal and DMV/RMV penalties, an OUI/DUI/DWI conviction can cause severe family hardship, negatively impact your present and future employment, and negatively affect immigration status.
Not to mention a lawsuit for personal injury or property damage—which could be a huge amount of money!
Plan Ahead—There Are Drunk Driving Alternatives.
Along with all your gift and party planning, you should also be planning how you and your guests will be getting home after the party—especially if they are imbibing.
Some drunk driving alternatives include:
• Appoint a Designated Driver
Have someone who is not drinking drive you home or have someone pick you up after the party.
• Public Transportation
Take advantage of public transportation, if available, e.g., buses, subways, trains.
• Ridesharing or Taxis
Companies like Lyft and Uber, as well as taxi services, offer a safe drunk driving alternative.
• Car Services
Many cities offer drunk driving services to prevent drunk driving—and many increase these services at the holidays. The National Directory of Designated Drivers (NDDD) provides a directory of drivers in your area who will take you home and take you back to pick up your car in the morning.
If You or Someone You Know Has Been Charged…
If all the good-intentioned warnings fail, and you or someone you know has been charged with driving drunk, you will need an aggressive criminal defense attorney to zealously defend and protect your rights and interests, because a conviction will seriously affect your future.
Don’t roll the dice—get the expert legal defense you’ll need.
Why Choose Attorney William Gillespie?
Attorney William Gillespie has extensive expertise and experience in Criminal Law/DUI. He has been in practice since 1996 and has a proven track record of results representing clients throughout Massachusetts. Attorney Gillespie is available to represent you before the Registry of Motor Vehicles hearings board on license reinstatements and hardship licenses. He offers a FREE CONSULTATION to discuss and evaluate your charge(s) and your criminal case.
An active member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Plymouth County Bar Association, Attorney Gillespie earned a BSBA degree from Stonehill College and his Law degree from Southern New England School of Law. He also volunteers his time at the Brockton Division of the Probate and Family Court as a Family Court and Probate Attorney.
In addition to Criminal Law/DUI, William Gillespie practices law in these areas: Personal Injury, Family Law/Divorce, and Immigration Law.
We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and offer you a FREE consultation. Call (781) 344-6998; email contact@wgillespielaw.com; or visit our website www.wgillespielaw.com.
Interpreters are available for the following languages: Cape Verdean, Haitian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
The foregoing should not be construed as legal advice. Visit us for a FREE consultation so that we may advise and defend you on your OUI/DUI/DWI case.