Ithaca DWI Lawyer: How a First Time DWI in New York Can Be a Felony

Man drives child to school while highly intoxicated. 

When you read the headlines you see some people charged with DWI as a felony. The truth is that most first time DWI offenses are not felony level crimes. In fact the large majority of New York State DWI and DWAI drugs charges for first time offenders are charged as misdemeanors. But there is a special law for those people who are driving while intoxicated or impaired by drugs with kids under the age of 16 years old in the car as passengers.