Being 21 can be an exciting age. One may be in college and contemplating life after school as graduation approaches. At 21 a person my begin to feel like a grownup and think about grownup things such as marriage, career and family. It’s also the age at which a person can drink legally in New York. Sadly it’s not always easy to know one’s own limits and how consuming alcohol could lead to a Being 21 can be an exciting age. One may be in college and contemplating life after school as one approaches graduation. At 21 a person my begin to feel like a grown up and think about grown up things, marriage, career and family. At 21 a person can also drink legally in New York. Too often 21- year-olds take this one to an extreme, don’t know their limits and drink and drive. This can lead to an arrest and drunk driving charge, or worse. In an incident in Ontario County recently a woman was charged with driving under the influence while officers were investigating the scene of an accident. The woman showed signs of intoxication and so the officers administered field sobriety tests while they were there. The test results indicated she had probably been driving under the influence. The officers placed her under arrest and transported her to the local police station. They administered a chemical breath test which showed a blood alcohol content of .26 percent. The legal limit in New York is .08 percent and if the reading is .18 percent or higher it is considered to be evidence of an aggravated DWI. At 21, it is hoped that a person can handle the responsibility of drinking responsibly and refraining from driving if necessary. The reality is that lapses in judgement occur and mistakes can be made. A young person facing a drunk driving charge, particularly a first offense, could benefit from the counsel of an experienced criminal defense attorney. On a first offense there may be options available for reduced charges and a knowledgeable lawyer can advise the client as to what legal options may be available. drunk driving charge.
In an incident in Ontario County recently a woman was charged with driving under the influence while officers were investigating the scene of an accident. The woman reportedly showed signs of intoxication and the officers administered field sobriety tests while they were there. According to police, the test results indicated she had been driving under the influence.
The officers placed her under arrest and transported her to the local police station. They administered a chemical breath test which allegedly showed a blood alcohol content of .26 percent. The legal limit in New York is .08 percent. If the BAC reading is .18 percent or higher, a charge of aggravated DWI may be filed.
A young person may think he or she is ready to take on the responsibility of drinking and refraining from driving if necessary. People in their 20s are still prone to occasional lapses in judgment and mistakes, later regretted, can be made. Anyone facing criminal charges for drunk driving, or any other offense, is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. Anyone facing a drunk driving charge, particularly a first offense, could benefit from the counsel of an experienced criminal defense attorney. On a first offense in New York there may be options available for reduced charges, or even a case dismissal in certain instances, and a knowledgeable lawyer can advise the client and help to pursue the best possible result.
