Mooresville DWI Lawyer

Mooresville DWI Attorney

A DWI charge, or driving while impaired, in Mooresville can have serious legal, financial, and social consequences if not handled properly. The negative ramifications can be long-term and far-reaching. Hiring a Mooresville DWI lawyer can make a difference not only in your case but in your future as well.

A Mooresville Attorney With DWI Experience

If you’re looking for a Mooresville DWI lawyer whom you can trust, The Law Office of Michael D. Cleaves, PLLC, is one of the top DWI law firms in Iredell County. We have over 20 years of experience in Mooresville and the surrounding communities and have countless successful DWI cases to attest to our effectiveness. We use our knowledge of the law and vast experience to defend every client we represent to the very end of their case.

Why a Skilled DWI Attorney Matters

A DWI is punishable if a driver’s blood alcohol limit is 0.08 or higher. For a first offense conviction of DWI in NC, it is mandatory that drivers lose their right to drive for one year. If a driver’s blood alcohol limit is higher than 0.15, following the one-year revocation of their license, they must get an ignition-interlock system installed on their car for one year that prevents them from driving if they have consumed alcohol.

A first offense also reduces the legal limit for driving from 0.08 blood alcohol content to 0.04 for three years. The penalties for a first-time DWI range from a minimum $200 fine, 24-hour jail time, and 24-hour community service requirement to a maximum penalty of fines of up to $4,000, and imprisonment from 30 days to two years. In addition, if any driver refuses a chemical analysis test for blood alcohol content, they will lose their license for a mandatory one-year period.

These are severe consequences that can seriously alter your life.

A seasoned Mooresville DWI lawyer is often a defendant’s only hope for minimizing charges and/or penalties for a DWI conviction. Penalties will increase if you’re convicted a second time. If the second offense occurs within three years of the first, there is a mandatory four-year revocation period of driving privileges. Furthermore, the legal blood alcohol content for operating a vehicle is lowered to 0.00.

Criminal Defense Strategies for Mooresville DWI Cases

Despite the state’s ‘Booze It & Lose It’ campaign, which seeks to discourage DWIs in heavily trafficked areas, in 2022, NC had 26,333 DWI convictions. The majority of those convictions were Level 5, which is the lowest severity of DWI charges. Almost all, 93%, received probation. If you hire a DWI lawyer with experience in DWI criminal defense, you can significantly increase your odds of mitigating charges and penalties against you.

One of the most common criminal defense strategies for DWI charges lies in the execution of the testing and searching of defendants by law enforcement at the time of arrest. A good attorney is well-versed in Mooresville DWI laws and can use a variety of resources to build a defense that can, in some cases, invalidate charges altogether.

Another common defense strategy for DWI charges is a lack of probable cause for the traffic stop. Questioning the arresting officer is also sometimes a useful tactic in building a defense for a defendant. If the defendant’s attorney is able to ask the right questions of the arresting officer on the stand, the court may find holes in the officer’s story.

Why Choose Us?

If keeping your driving privileges is important to you, then hiring a Mooresville DWI lawyer with proven experience is ideal. The Law Office of Michael D. Cleaves, PLLC, is well-known and well-respected in criminal courtrooms throughout Iredell County. When we walk into the courtroom, our reputation precedes us, as well as our clients.

FAQs

Q: How Much Does a Lawyer Cost for a DWI in NC?

A: The cost of a DWI lawyer in NC will depend on several factors, such as whether it’s a first offense or not, because it is inevitably harder to defend a subsequent offense. It will also depend on any other charges that the defendant may have and the amount of additional work that would go into the case, for example, if an investigation of procedure is required, etc. The location and experience of the attorney can also affect the cost.

Q: Can I Hire an Attorney to Appear for Me in DWI Court?

A: In Mooresville, North Carolina, different counties have different requirements for appearing for a DWI. It is wise to speak with and/or hire a DWI lawyer in the county where your DWI occurred. It may be possible for you to take care of your charges via eCourt, but you have a better chance of this with a lawyer representing you.

Q: Can You Get Out of a DWI in NC?

A: It is possible to get DWI charges in NC dropped if you have the right lawyer and the right defense strategy. If you do not have any previous DWI charges, you have a better chance of getting the charges dropped. A good DWI lawyer in NC can assess the way in which you were searched, tested, and arrested to find any type of mishandling of your case.

Q: Do I Need a Lawyer for DWI in NC?

A: You need a lawyer to represent you to have an optimal chance of getting your DWI charges dropped or the severity of your conviction/penalties lowered. The court will take your plea of innocence or claims of case mishandling more seriously if you have professional legal representation. An experienced DWI attorney knows what it takes to mitigate the penalties of a DWI charge.

Ready to Hire a DWI Lawyer?

The biggest mistake you can make in a DWI case is assuming you don’t need a DWI lawyer for a first offense. The second-biggest mistake you can make is waiting to call a lawyer until it’s too late to investigate or build a valid defense strategy. Contact The Law Office of Michael D. Cleaves, PLLC, today to obtain the dedicated legal representation you need for a DWI charge.

See Related Posts:

• Common North Carolina Traffic Violations and Penalties [2025 Updated]
• The Outcome of Your DWI Case May Depend on Breath Test Accuracy
• What Is the Impact a DWI Conviction on College?