4th Of July Stops Net 1,700 NC DWI Charges

North Carolina law enforcement is calling Operation Firecracker a success, reporting that 1,737 people were arrested and charged with drunk driving between June 28 and July 7 as part of the holiday crackdown on impaired driving. Just under one-third of the impaired driving arrests were made by seven statewide task forces, whose job is to take impaired drivers off North Carolina roadways.

If you were arrested for drunk driving over the 4^th of July holiday, it is not too late to get an experienced DWI defense lawyer on your side. An arrest is not the same thing as a conviction; the state must actually prove that you were driving while impaired and that the police didn’t make any procedural missteps during your arrest.

A DWI lawyer can examine the facts of your case and any criminal history you may have to work toward the best possible outcome. That may be a dismissal of the drunk driving charge, a reduction of a felony to a misdemeanor, a negotiated plea agreement or a trial on the merits. You should discuss with an attorney what would be the best DWI defense strategy given your unique circumstances.

In addition to preparing a pre-trial or trial strategy, your defense lawyer can assist with securing a favorable sentence. In North Carolina, sentencing for DWI is done at five levels, with level 5 being the least punishment. Your DWI defense lawyer can present any mitigating factors on your behalf that may help you obtain a lesser sentence if you have been convicted or argue that mitigating factors outweigh any aggravating factors.

Source: WSOCTV, “Nearly 1,800 arrested for DWI in NC operation,” July 16, 2013