Additional Resources for DWI and Other Serious Cases
In most of the cases, the police will also blast the DWI driver with a bunch of traffic tickets as well. In most instances, the police will also issue the DWI driver a traffic ticket for reckless driving, an unsafe lane change, and/or speeding. The most common traffic ticket that the police write up the driver for is reckless driving. This is a five-point ticket. Many times if the police mess up the DWI case, then the driver can still be convicted of reckless driving, and they will still lose their license for 30 to 60 days.
In most cases the prosecutor will “merge” all of the tickets, if the driver pleads guilty to DWI. The term merge basically means disappear. There is a substantial risk if the driver goes to trial on the DWI, when there are also many outstanding traffic tickets. At the trial, the driver can be found guilty of both the DWI charge, and of the traffic tickets. This can be a disastrous result because the driver will receive additional surcharges, and the cost of their automobile insurance will be increased even higher.
In some cases, the police will also issue a disorderly persons charge to the defendant. The most common DP charges are obstruction to justice, lewdness, or breach of the peace. A DP is arguably more of a serious offense than a DWI. Even a petty disorderly persons offense is a criminal charge and a conviction will ruin your record. Many major corporations and government jobs simply will not hire you with any type of criminal record. In many cases, the prosecutor will downgrade a disorderly persons charge to a municipal ordinance or even dismiss the case if the defendant pleads out to the DWI case. In summary, if the police file a DP charge against a defendant then this case be tremendous leverage for the prosecutor to obtain a plea to a DWI.
