DWI Frequently Asked Questions: Minnesota DUI Law
FAQ: “Should I hire a lawyer for my DWI case?”
This is the most important DWI FAQ. Yes, it is worth fighting back after a DWI arrest in Minnesota. Why? High insurance costs follow the five years after a DWI arrest. But the cost of hiring a good DWI defense lawyer is only a fraction of that cost. And we can use Minnesota DWI law to your advantage, to win.
DWI is a most serious driving offense. And to avoid high-risk auto insurance costs, you must remove all alcohol-related events from your “driving record.”
That means (1) making a legal challenge to the “implied consent” administrative license revocation; and (2) defending the criminal-DWI charge so that no alcohol-related conviction results – both.
But you only have 60 days from the date of the license revocation. In breath test cases, that is normally the date of the arrest.
So you must serve and file a court challenge to the license revocation within 60 days. And you’ll need a lawyer’s help with that.
But if you do it on the 61st day, it won’t do any good. Even one day past 60 days and it will be too late.
You should discuss the details of your case with a DWI defense lawyer. And you’ll learn some of the basic strategies for defending these cases.
Call Attorney Thomas Gallagher for a half-hour phone consultation. You are welcome to call him at (612) 333-1500.
Time is of the essence.
FAQ: “When is the best time to retain a DWI defense attorney?”
As soon as possible. Why ASAP?
Because you have only 60 days to serve and file a legal challenge to it. And you’ll need a good criminal defense attorney to help you with that.
If you miss the deadline, or don’t win that case, you’ll have an “implied consent violation” on your license record.
And almost all of the consequences of a DWI conviction, other than jail and probation, result from that.
As for the criminal-DWI case, prosecutors don’t just give away favorable settlement offers without a reason. The reason they do, when they do, is that your criminal defense lawyer spots a good defense issue.
For example, the reason for the traffic stop might be helpful to your case. But, only a criminal defense lawyer will be able to identify your best defense issue; after thoroughly reviewing your case.
In the typical DWI case, the police officer initiates both a criminal-DWI charge, and an administrative license revocation. She will base both on either a “test refusal” or “test” report of 0.08 or more.
These are two, separate legal actions. One is criminal. And the other is supposedly “civil.” (This is how they try to avoid the constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy.)
In Attorney Thomas Gallagher’s experience, most people are aware of the criminal DWI court date. But most are unaware of the short filing deadline to fight the administrative license revocation.
FAQ: “What is at stake in a typical first-time DWI case?”
The first question to ask in any legal matter is “what is at stake?” For most first-timers, jail time is unlikely. And in a case with no accident or other aggravating factors, judges rarely sentence much, if any, executed jail time.
Money: But, having an alcohol-related event on your driver’s license record can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Major cost increases include:
- high risk auto insurance premiums for minimal coverage,
- fines and fees, and costs related to having a criminal conviction record,
- drivers license revocation reinstatement fees, and
- impacts on employment, on health insurance premiums, etc.
The Legal Solution
Retain a good DWI defense lawyer for a court challenge to the license revocation.
If a judge then rescinds it off your driver’s license record, and you avoid an alcohol-related conviction; you’ve won.
This could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars over a five-year period alone.
DWI laws today are complex.
So only an experienced, motivated DWI defense lawyer can help you effectively fight and win one of these cases. And Attorney Thomas Gallagher has helped his clients do this many times, for three decades.
Without a good DWI defense lawyer you have no real chance of winning. And you can’t win unless you try to win.
A typical first-time DWI case involves two legal cases:
- the administrative license revocation; and,
- the DWI-criminal case.
Under Minnesota’s implied consent law, you automatically lose unless you file a court challenge within 60 days.
If you do, only then will you get a hearing in court. And there are many, expensive, consequences of having an implied consent violation on your driver’s license record.
In the other, criminal DWI case, most first-time DWI criminal charges are misdemeanors. Misdemeanors carry a 90 days jail and $1,000 maximum penalty.
But generally first DWIs result in little executed jail time, and several conditions of probation. And if we win, you can avoid even that.
FAQ: “What if I have a prior alcohol-related incident within ten years?”
A prosecutor can enhance a Minnesota criminal DWI charge to a more serious crime based on prior alcohol-related incidents.
The look-back period for charge enhancement and mandatory minimum sentencing is now ten years.
If the alcohol-related incident is within ten years of the new DWI, the prosecutor can charge an enhanced, Gross Misdemeanor. And one prior within ten triggers a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 days in jail.
The administrative revocation of drivers license under the “implied consent” statute, is also longer and worse with a prior.
FAQ: “What is the difference between DUI and DWI?”
DUI is an acronym for “Driving Under the Influence.” DWI is short for “Driving While Impaired.”
In Minnesota there is no difference. Both refer to Minnesota Statutes Chapter 169A: “Driving while Impaired.” While “DWI” seems a better fit; “DUI” is more common through the United States. Since there is no distinction in Minnesota, here either term may be used interchangeably.
More Minnesota DWI Law Answers
Answers to more frequently asked questions about Minnesota DWI law:
Minnesota DWI Lawyer main page
Criminal Vehicular Operation page
Minnesota Felony DWI page
Breath-Alcohol Machines in Minnesota page
Urine Testing in Minnesota page
Marijuana DUI in Minnesota page
Detox Release page
Car Forfeiture page
Prevention article: Countermeasures at a DWI Stop: the Party Question
Have a question not covered on this DWI FAQ page? Call Minneapolis DWI Defense Attorney Thomas Gallagher at 612 333-1500.