The strict new DWI law known as Leandra’s Law went into effect December 18, 2009. The law was created after an eleven year old Leandra Lewis was killed in a car accident caused because the driver of the vehicle had been intoxicated. The law has now harsher than ever. Now any adult caught driving while impaired with a child under the age of 16 years may be charged with an E felony and faces up to 4 years in prison. A driver who is impaired and causes the death of a child less than 16 years may face up to 25 years in prison and a B Felony. The police will also report the parent/ guardian of the child to the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.
Just days after the law was enacted, one mother have been arrested. She was pulled over by police after they noticed her car swerving on the New York State Thruway. Once the vehicle was stopped, they gave her a Breathalyzer and found her to have a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .20, twice the legal limit of .08. The woman had her 9 year old daughter in the car when she was pulled over. She has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated DWI with a child in the vehicle. Her daughter was released into the grandmother’s custody. The mother was held in Oneida County jail.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a DWI with a child in the vehicle, you need an aggressive New York Criminal Lawyer to help you fight these charges. Stephen Bilkis & Associates understands the trauma an arrest can have on your life, and the lasting outcome a criminal conviction will have. We have offices in Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau and Suffolk County. Our New York Criminal Lawyers can help you with a DWI, DWAI, or child endangerment charge. We offer a free consultation at 1-800-NYNY-LAW (1-800-696-9529). Call us today to take advantage of this free consultation and speak to a New York Criminal Lawyer from our firm.
The firm of Stephen Bilkis & Associates and its New York Criminal Lawyers and convenient locations in the New York Area including Richmond Hill, NY can be very helpful to you if you find yourself involved in a criminal prosecution. Facing charges without a New York Criminal Lawyer is a losing option.