Having a few drinks is a way that many people blow off some steam and try to relax. You may not consider yourself a heavy drinker and may only drink when there is occasion to do so. You likely also feel that you know your body well enough to know whether you have had too much to drink and should not drive.
Because you felt fine, you decided to get behind the wheel and drive home or to another destination. After all, you did not have that much to drink. Unfortunately, some action caused a police officer to decide to stop your vehicle. Maybe you had a brake light out or you swerved in your lane to avoid an object. Whatever the case, the officer approached your vehicle and asked if you had been drinking, and you may have broken out in a sweat.
A risk to your license
Whether you told the officer you had a few drinks or he or she suspected it nonetheless, you may have found yourself participating in field sobriety tests or submitting to a roadside breath test. To your dismay, the officer deemed you intoxicated or impaired and placed you under arrest. Now, you face the serious possibility of consequences in the event of a conviction for a DWI charge, including possible suspension or revocation of your driver’s license.
If you do end up with a suspended license, it means that you could face a definite or indefinite suspension. If you face a definite license suspension, it means that you would need to wait until the specific suspension period comes to an end and you pay any fines that you owe. With an indefinite suspension, your license could remain suspended until you take a specific action, such as paying any overdue fines.
What about revocation?
If the DWI charges result in the revocation of your driver’s license, you face a more serious predicament than for a suspension. A revoked license does not mean that you can simply wait a period of time or pay a fine and get your license back. It typically means that the court has completely voided your license. However, a revoked license generally occurs after multiple drunk driving convictions.
Even if this is your first DWI arrest, you still face the risk of having a suspended license or facing other serious consequences. Because you undoubtedly want to avoid a conviction if possible, you may want to gain information from local Minnesota legal resources that could help you better understand your defense options.
