Being found guilty of driving while intoxicated (DWI) may come with harsh consequences; whether it be jail time, fines, or a suspended driver’s license, to name a few. These consequences may be arguably viewed as temporary. However, your DWI conviction may permanently stay on your driving record with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Follow along to find out why a DWI conviction might stay on your driving record and how a proficient Gloucester County DWI lawyer at The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. can fight for you to avoid this unfortunate consequence.
Why does a DWI conviction stay on my New Jersey driving record?
As you may already know all too well, the state of New Jersey does not take DWI convictions lightly. What’s more, the state may view your DWI conviction as a traffic offense rather than a criminal offense. For these reasons alone, this may stay on your New Jersey driving record for the rest of your life.
Such a consequence may hinder your chances of reducing your auto insurance costs ever again, all while impeding your ability to obtain coverage from certain auto insurance companies altogether. What’s more, this incident may pop up on any background check someone conducts on you. This may make it all the more difficult to retain employment, especially in a field where driving is a major job function (i.e., commercial truck driving).
Why should I fight to have my DWI charge reduced to a reckless driving charge?
To reiterate, your DWI conviction may be considered a traffic offense rather than a criminal offense. With this, it may be impossible to get this incident expunged from your record. But at the very least, the state of New Jersey may allow you to have it sealed.
That is, non-conviction record sealing means that nobody can view the contents of your record without first being granted a court order. So to get this incident sealed, you must successfully get your DWI charge dismissed or if you can successfully receive a not-guilty verdict. At the very least, you and your lawyer may want to fight to get your DWI charge reduced to a reckless driving charge.
Along with the potential of getting this incident sealed, you may also reap the benefits of reduced penalties. More specific comparisons of DWI penalties versus reckless driving penalties in New Jersey read as follows:
- First-offense DWI:
- Jail time of up to 30 days.
- Fines of anywhere between $250 to $400.
- Driver’s license suspension of anywhere between three months to one year.
- First-offense reckless driving:
- Jail time of up to 60 days.
- Fines of anywhere between $50 to $200.
- Driver’s license suspension of up to three months.
At the end of the day, you must not stand idly by when you are being accused of a DWI. Rather, you must take immediate action and retain the services of one of the experienced New Jersey criminal defense lawyers. Contact The Vigilante Law Firm, P.C. today.
