North Carolina DWI Law | Bumcombe County DWI Repeat Offender

So recently, I read an article about a driver in Buncombe County who was recently convicted of his 17th DWI and was sentenced to 7 years in prison.  Now, while many of you may expect it, this Raleigh DWI Attorney is not coming to the defense of the repeat offender and the harsh sentence he has received.  Given the number of times he has been convicted, I honestly don't believe 7 years is necessarily inappropriate. 

What bothered me more about this article was the quote from the District Attorney for that county, Ron Moore.  He stated "In North Carolina for a first offense you don't serve a minute in jail.  You generally get a 60-day suspended sentence.  You can get a limited driving privilege, and you have to do 24 hours of community service.  There is not a lot of deterrent value.  If you had to spend a week in jail, then maybe it would deter you from that behavior." 

This idea that North Carolina is somehow 'light' on DWI charges is ridiculous.  North Carolina has very serious sentences for DWI convictions, including first offenders.  Where before in North Carolina, as well as presently in other states, certain first offenders may be eligible for a reduction to a 'Careless and Reckless' charge, or to participate in some type of 'First-Offenders DWI' Program where the charges would be reduced upon successful completion.  But not in present day North Carolina.  No, if you are charged with a DWI, it has been the experience of this Wake County DUI Attorney that there are no opportunities for a reduction of the charge.  In fact, your only chance of avoiding a DWI conviction is by winning at trial. 

Also, the statements by District Attorney Moore over simplifies the reality of a DWI conviction.  First, he is describing a Level 5 Sentence, which is the lowest possible sentence a Driver can receive for a DWI conviction in North Carolina.  Depending on Aggravating and Grossly Aggravating Factors, a Driver can face a much more serious sentence then just 24 hours of community service.  Even at a Level 5, a Defendant can expect to pay between $500-$700 in court costs and fines at the time of conviction, which does not include the 400% increase to the insurance premium for the next three years and any costs you incurred immediately after the arrest, including the cost of hiring an attorney.  Additionally, all DWI convictions in North Carolina carry with it mandatory Substance Abuse Assessment and follow up treatment so Driver's are learning the risks of substance abuse. 

In addition, a Limited Driving Privilege is no small slap on the wrist.  The driver is limited to driving Monday - Friday from 6:00 am to 8:00 PM for 'work, school or household needs.'  Now, there is some debate about what constitutes 'household needs' but some Police Officers may feel that a Driver out during those times, who isn't specifically driving for the benefit of his or her household is in violation of the privilege, which could lead to a revocation.  Additionally, should a driver have a blood/alcohol concentration of .15 or above in North Carolina, they will not be eligible for a Limited Driving Privilege for the first 45 days after being convicted and are required to have an Interlock Device installed on the vehicle for one year, all at the cost to the Defendant.  Imagine your life if you were not able to drive for a week, let alone a month and a half?!

Now, I'm sure some people think that I am minimizing the risks of Driving While Impaired, I can assure you I am not.  Driving drunk is risky and endangers the lives of the Driver, their passengers, as well as the public in general.  However, DWI's have gotten so built up that we are sentencing people for the damage they could have done, not what they actually did!

Rest assured, if a Drunk Driver causes a wreck, it will be factored into their sentencing so they can receive a harsher sentence then if they hadn't gotten in a wreck.  Caused serious bodily injury?  That's a Grossly Aggravating Factor and would be a minimum, mandatory 7 days in jail.  Prior DWI in the last 7 years?  Same thing.  Passenger in the vehicle under the age of 18?  Level 1, minimum, mandatory 30 days in jail!  That means if you are a first time offender, with a BAC of .08 and a 17 year old in the car (think about high schoolers coming home from a party or prom) and they are convicted, 30 days in jail. 

It's craziness to me that DWI's are treated this way.  The fact that the Defendant is participating in a risky activity results in a sentence that would appear to address the potential  harm, instead of the actual harm caused.  Let's think of this in another way.  North Carolina has passed laws against texting while driving.  Some cities have even passed laws against using phones all together.  There are those who believe that the use of a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as driving while impaired.  Certainly there are plenty of stories out there about people who have been injured or killed because of someone texting or driving.  Should we treat those who were caught texting and driving as harshly as those who have killed while texting and driving?  Of course not, the punishment wouldn't fit the crime.

Here's another way to think of this.  I have a client who was associated with a fight in school.  One of the young boys broke the eye socket of another boy during the fight.  That young boy was charged with Assault and Battery.  Having never been in trouble before, will have his case dismissed after he participated in a First Offender's program, which includes community service and classes.  There will be no monetary costs that he will incur from the criminal charge.  However, most of my clients are first offenders, and many of those are low BAC DWI's who did not injure anyone at all and will have their life seriously disrupted, incur thousands of dollars in costs (once you add up court costs, legal fees, and insurance costs) and have their ability to drive restricted for the next year.  How is this fair?  If we take the DWI sentencing logic and apply it the fight, the boy should face a sentence that reflects the injury he could have cause as a result of the fight.  The boy could have suffered brain injury or even death, so let's treat this case the same as if it did occur?

Okay, I think I have been up on my Soapbox long enough.  Let me say again, I don't advocate Driving While Impaired or even think that people shouldn't face some of the consequences, but for a District Attorney to suggest that every single first-time offender of a Class 1 Misdemeanor should face a mandatory 7 day jail sentence is ludicrous.  I think common sense needs to prevail and be applied to these cases.  As it were, due to special interest groups (M.A.D.D. I'm looking at you), there is little chance that will ever happen.

Raleigh DUI Law | Use of 'Fake' Checkpoint Signs

So, recently in the news, I read where police officers in Cleveland, Ohio were using a ruse to try and apprehend individuals who may be driving on the road with drugs in their possession.  Having handled many kinds of Wake County Checkpoint Cases, I am aware of the restrictions the Police were operating within and how this little ploy was used to somewhat circumvent restrictions on their ability to randomly stop individuals on the road.

In this particular case, the Police Force posted signs on a busy road indicating that a drug checkpoint with drug-sniffing dogs was ahead.  The problem is, there is no such thing as a drug checkpoint.  Under restrictions placed by our courts, including the Supreme Court, there are a limited number of reasons police can randomly stop drivers for a checkpoint.  In North Carolina, the police are only permitted to utilize checkpoints to investigate for drunk drivers or to check driver's licenses. 

So, if they cannot actually set up a 'drug checkpoint' what's the point of putting up signs indicating there is one ahead?  Well, within proximity of those signs, police are staked out to see if anyone does a quick U-turn or throws something from their window, which may indicate they are scared of being caught at the checkpoint with drugs.  See, since the majority of people do not realize that 'drug checkpoints' are illegal and unconstitutional, they assume the police to be truthful with these signs and act accordingly.

Okay, so this is creative and may not run afoul of the courts precedent that the checkpoint itself is not permitted.  However, there are a couple of issues this Raleigh DWI Defense Attorney has with this approach.  First, there is something inherently wrong with the police lying to the general public.  As disconcerting as it may be to everyone, the truth is police can lie.  If they are interrogating you, they can make up facts to try and persuade you to confess.  And while I do not approve of those practices, at least it is tailored to suspects.  However, by posting false information, in the hopes that individuals will 'show their cards' is something entirely different.  I kind of look at this as 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf.'  If the public comes to not trust signs posted by the police because they could be lies, what else should the police not trust in the conduct of their police? 

My second issue with this approach is there seems to be some inherent risk of some presumed 'reasonable suspicion' based on actions the police may not like.  You see, in order to justify a stop, regardless of the circumstances, the State must have articulable reasonable suspicion in order to justify the stop.  This is related to the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures (the exception, of course, are the checkpoints).  So, when the police are staked out, looking for anyone who may want to avoid the imaginary checkpoint, or who otherwise may be doing something totally unrelated to the checkpoint, could be stopped because the police are purposefully looking for actions that otherwise may not amount to reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.  As was the case with a recent driver stopped during this checkpoint.  He reported that he pulled over to the side of the road twice to check his directions and was stopped by the police.  It wasn't until the drug dog came and they searched his car did the police realize that he was not transporting drugs and was being truthful when he explained his reason for stopping.  This individual was stopped for nothing more then because safety-minded by pulling over before verifying his directions - that does NOT amount to reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

If you are facing a Wake County DWI Charge and are in need of quality legal representation, contact us at the Matheson Law Office for your free consultation.  We will be happy to discuss your legal options and ensure your rights are preserved.

North Carolina Criminal Law | YOUR Court Date!

Back again to posting about my experience as a Raleigh DWI Lawyer and Raleigh Criminal Attorney. Today I found myself in a familiar, if not uncomfortable position. I was in court this A.M. for a court-appointed client. I waited one and a half hours for him to arrive, which he never did. I made a motion to continue the case, however the Judge denied my motion and issued an Order for Arrest. The Judge may have been willing to grant my motion had my client gotten in touch with me before his court date to let me know WHY he was unable to attend today. As it was, I had to admit to the Judge that I have had no contact with this client and could offer no explanation for his absence. To add insult to injury (which I obviously didn't share with the Judge) this client was over an hour late to his previous court date.

I realize coming to court is a big inconvenience. It's schedule during the week, when most people are working. To take time out of your work/life and come sit in a boring courtroom is nobody's idea of fun. But, regardless of how inconvenient it may be, it is still a REQUIREMENT that you attend. This is your court date, and your appearance is mandatory for most North Carolina Criminal Charges.

If, for some reason, you are unable to attend, it is imperative that you contact your Attorney BEFORE your court date so they may have a chance of getting the case continued without you present. Otherwise, you need to be seated in court, on time.

Something to consider, other then having an Order for Arrest being issued against you, is what your Failure to Appear in court can mean for your case. Your Shuck (the envelope which contains all the paperwork about your case) will be marked that you missed your court date. This is something that District Attorneys AND Judge's look at. They pay particular attention to it when being asked for a lenient plea or sentence for that individual's case. The court's position is, everyone else who is required to be there for your case was present, so why weren't you?

So, as a recommendation, do not miss your court date, and if you have something come up, contact your Raleigh DUI Attorney or Raleigh Criminal Attorney as soon as possible!