Life can change pretty quickly. In a matter of moments, you can go from heading home after a night on the town or dinner with friends to being stopped at a checkpoint of by the police for suspicion of “drunk” or “impaired driving.” If you have alcohol on your breath, you will directed to step out of your car and to perform “field sobriety tests.” If you try to perform these tests, you will most likely fail and be arrested. If you refuse to participate, you will absolutely be arrested. Either way, you are going to spend the night in jail and will need to consult an experienced DWI lawyer the following morning.

North Carolina has some of the toughest DWI laws in the country. You are about to enter a very stressful time in your life. Even before being found guilty of anything, you will lose your license to drive for at least 30 days. You may lose your job. You might even go to jail. You need answers now. By consulting a Charlotte DWI attorney who knows and understands what is about to happen, you may be able to sleep better the next night after you learn what you are facing and what can be done. At our firm, our lawyers handle DWI cases everyday and cover all of Mecklenburg County, including Charlotte, Ballantyne, Blakeney, Dilworth, Meyers Park, North Davidson (NoDa), Matthews, Lake Norman, and Huntersville. We would welcome an opportunity to speak with you about your particular situation.

First, let’s answer some of the most commonly asked questions. Driving while impaired (DWI) is a misdemeanor, not a felony. Next, unless your case involves an accident with injury, a first time DWI arrest does not typically result in jail time (community service is an option). If convicted, the lowest punishment (Level 5) will involve a fine, 24 or 48 hours of community service, and loss of license for one (1) year. However, you can apply for a limited driving privilege (LDP) in most cases. That is the good news. The bad news is that a DWI conviction will be a permanent criminal record and  will dramatically increase your automobile insurance rates for the next several years.

Next, people want to know if they can fight a DWI charge or if they are automatically quilty? Absolutely. A DWI is a criminal charge and should be aggressively defended in court. As will all criminal matters, the burden of proof is on the State of North Carolina, and the prosecution must prove all elements of the crime “beyond a reasonable doubt.” An experienced DWI lawyer can undertake a comprehensive review of your case and will guide you on what defenses are available. They can then do everything under the law to defend you in court. Mr. Reeves has been an active trial lawyer, in both civil and criminal courts, for over twenty-four (24) years. He focuses his criminal practice primarily on DWI cases and employs the same “team approach” usually used in complex civil litigation cases. When needed, he can consult with a former DUI prosecutor and former police officer in reviewing files.

In order to be more effective at trial, Mr. Reeves has taken the same training as the police and has earned a certificate in “DWI Investigation and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing” by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Now, when he cross-examines police officers on the stand, he uses their own procedures to challenge whether roadside tests were administered properly and whether there was probable cause to proceed with arrest.

Once you get home, you are going to receive a number of solicitation letters in the mail. We encourage you to research a number of law firms and discern between those lawyers who “dabble” in DWI cases and those who focus their criminal practice in this area. Carefully consider the lawyers’ actual credentials and even consider meeting with several firms to ask questions. Then, after you are satisfied, you should retain the best DWI lawyer in whom you have the most confidence and feel the most comfortable. Regardless of whether you hire our firm or someone else, we sincerely wish you the best outcome in your case.

The NC DWI attorneys at Reeves, Aiken & Hightower LLP are experienced trial lawyers who take DWI cases very seriously. If retained, we will honor the trust you have placed in our firm and will work tirelessly to aggressively fight for you in court. We will examine all the evidence, including arrest reports, officer’s personal notes, and all available videos. Then, we will sit down with you and review your options and strategies. After receiving full information and advice, you will be in a position to decide how best to proceed. As our client, you are always in charge of your case.

Thank you for visiting our firm’s website. We have purposefully put alot of real information about NC DWI law and hope we have helped you have a better understanding of what you are facing. After you have had an opportunity to read this material, please call one of our attorneys to personally review your particular case. We will give you a candid assessment and explain your “worst case scenario.” The consultation is free, and you can reach us after hours and weekends. You can  speak with Mr. Reeves directly by calling his personal cell phone at 704-351-7979. Or, if you prefer, you can email him at rjrlaw@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you.