Andover Driving While Suspended for DWI Attorneys

Driving With a Suspended License for DUI Defense Lawyers in North Warren, New Jersey

Driving while on a suspended license is unadvised, but the consequences for driving while you have a suspended license because of a DWI conviction are even more serious. Read on to learn more about the consequences and why you need to contact a defense attorney if you have been charged with driving on a suspended license based on a DUI conviction in New Jersey.

It is strongly advised that you get a seasoned attorney to represent you if you are accused of driving while your license is revoked due to a prior DWI case in Hopatcong, Wantage, Mansfield, Greenwich, Hackettstown, Phillipsburg, Wantage, and throughout Sussex County and Warren County. To get a free consultation with a lawyer who can help, call 973-755-1695 or complete the online contact form. We will listen to your case, walk you through the different scenarios, and advise you on the potential course of action that we can take in your optimal defense.

Circumstances Leading to Driving On a Suspended License Offense after DWI

If you have been charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances (DWI), it is likely that you have had your license revoked for some period of time. During this time, it is strictly forbidden that you get behind the wheel of a car, as penalties for doing so are even steeper than a regular violation of driving without a valid license.

Possible Penalties for Driving While On a Suspended License for DWI in NJ

The consequences for being charged with driving on a suspended license due to a DWI are much higher than a typical charge of driving with a suspended license. For example, if you are charged with driving with a suspended license in New Jersey, you may face a $500 fine for a first offense. On the other hand, if you have been charged with driving with a suspended license due to a DWI conviction, you may face an additional 2 years of license suspension added to the end of your current revocation and up to three months in jail, and an additional $500, to go along with the $500 driving on a suspended license fine.

The above consequences that go along with a first offense of driving on a revoked license due to a DWI charge are steep enough. However, if you are caught driving a second time on that revoked license, you can look forward to extremely harsh penalties. For a second offense, you will be charged with a fourth degree felony. This means that you could face up to a year and a half in New Jersey prison, up to two years of driver’s license revocation added to your current suspension, and up to $10,000 in fines.

As noted above, according to N.J.S.A. 2c:40-26, if you have had your license suspended due to a DWI conviction and have already been charged with driving while your license was suspended for that offense, and you are caught driving, you will be charged with a fourth degree felony.

Is there Mandatory Imprisonment for Driving While Suspended for DWI Under N.J.S.A. 2c:40-26?

According to section 1 of N.J.S.A. 2c:40-26, a person who has been convicted of a second offense of illegal driving after a DWI conviction “shall be sentenced by the court to a term of imprisonment.” The mandatory minimum term a person convicted of a fourth degree driving on a revoked license charge faces is three months without possibility of parole. As noted, the sentence could include up to 18 months in state prison, though this is not a mandatory penalty.

What if the Offense was Committed in Another State?

New Jersey offers reciprocal recognition, which means that it honors other states’ laws when it comes to driver’s licenses and recorded traffic offenses if those states’ laws are fairly similar to New Jersey law. As such, if a person’s license has been revoked due to a DWI conviction in another state, that charge may very well stand in New Jersey.

Wantage Lawyers Defending Driving while Suspended Due to DUI

New Jersey law regarding driving with a revoked license, as well as DWI law, is so consequential that it is necessary that you seek the support of an experienced attorney if you are mixed up in these infractions. Driving on a suspended license when you have already been convicted of a DWI can, in some cases, result in a felony charge that has implications for your freedom, your ability to circulate, and your capacity to get a job. It will also result in you having a criminal record for life. If you’ve been convicted of driving with a suspended license after a DWI charge in North Warren, Frankford, Franklin, Newton, Sparta, Washington Township, and other towns in Sussex and Warren County, contact a member of our legal team at 973-755-1695 today to begin to mount your defense immediately. No time can be wasted, and you need the highest quality legal support in your corner.