A DWI Can Result in Three Separate Cases
When someone is charged with a DWI, they are often facing more than just the potential criminal court appearances and consequences. Depending on the circumstances, certain offenders can also have a civil implied consent driver’s license revocation or a civil vehicle forfeiture case to be concerned about.
The criminal consequences are often the first thing that comes to mind for people who have been arrested for DWI. Am I going to jail? Will I have to pay a fine? Will I be on probation? These are natural concerns to have, but many drivers do not realize that they may also have to take action to preserve their right to fight their driver’s license revocation and the forfeiture of their vehicle.
Whether an implied consent driver’s license revocation or a vehicle forfeiture are at issue depends on the specific circumstances of the case. In order to properly preserve the right to challenge the implied consent license loss or attempted forfeiture of a vehicle, a person is required to file separate civil cases. There are important deadlines that must be met to properly challenge these driver’s license and vehicle forfeiture matters.
Vehicle forfeiture can even impact innocent owners who lend their car to a friend or family member who then gets arrested for DWI in the vehicle. The innocent owner can be forced to fight a court battle to recover their car even though they committed no crime.
An experienced DWI attorney can help best protect your rights in all aspects of a DWI matter. Attorneys John J. Leunig and Justin J. Duffy have vast experience handling DWI cases, including cases that resulted in acquittals at trial, dismissals prior to trial, and have successfully overturned DWI convictions on appeal.
If you or a loved one are facing charges for a criminal offense, call the dedicated and experienced criminal defense attorneys at The Law Office of John J. Leunig, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 952-540-6800 for a free consultation.
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