With the winter holidays here, even during a pandemic, it can be tempting to celebrate the new year with one-too-many alcoholic drinks. Despite these extenuating circumstances, law enforcement will be particularly vigilant about pulling over anyone they suspect of driving while intoxicated (DWI). And if you have already been convicted of that or a related crime, you could face even harsher penalties as a repeat DWI offender. For instance, a second DWI conviction alone is classified as a Class E felony, which means you could face between one and four years in jail and steep fines in addition to license revocation and other disciplinary measures. The penalties only get worse from there if you end up charged with a third DWI or other multiple DWIs after previous similar convictions. As such, there are a few very important things to understand about repeat DWI offenses this holiday season.
What Makes You a Repeat DWI Offender According to New York Law?
By New York law, a repeat DWI offender, at least after the first or second conviction, is any person who has been convicted of an alcohol-related driving crime or other serious driving offense within the last 10 years. This means that the definition of a prior related conviction is much more expansive here, enabling more than just a traditional DWI conviction to count toward that requirement. For instance, all the following convictions are considered serious driving offenses, which could mean that a misdemeanor first-time DWI charge might actually be a repeat offense, elevating it to a felony:
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