DWI/Drunk Driving

Effective DWI Defense for the Hudson Valley

Attorney Raymond D. Sprowls is a former New York City prosecutor who has successfully defended clients charged with all forms of DWI. Whether this is your first drunk driving arrest or whether you have prior DWIs on your record, you can rely on his knowledge and experience to help you to fight back against the charges and pursue a positive resolution of your case.

To learn more about Mr. Sprowls' DWI defense practice, please review the following pages:

DUI/DWI: Learn the basics about DWI charges and how an attorney can help.
First-time offenders: Common misconceptions about drunk driving can interfere with the disposition of your case.
Felony DWI: Enhanced penalties, including mandatory incarceration, for those with a second conviction within 10 years of the first.
Commercial driver's licenses: Losing a CDL means losing your ability to earn a living. Mr. Sprowls understands the importance of keeping your record clean.
Accident-related DWI: If you were involved in an alcohol-related accident that damaged people or property, your first call must be to a lawyer. Do not talk to the police without consulting an attorney.
Suspension-pending prosecution: Your driver's license will likely be suspended at your first date. Hiring an attorney before the arraignment can give you more options.
Refusals to test: Does refusing to take a blood or breath test work to your advantage? Learn the facts from an experienced DWI defense lawyer.

Drunk Driving Charges

In New York, you can be charged with several drunk driving offenses:

Driving While Alcohol Impaired (DWAI) means driving with a blood alcohol content above zero and below .08. It is a traffic infraction that does not go on your criminal record.
Misdemeanor DWI is charged when BAC is between .08 and .18.
Aggravated DWI is charged with a BAC of .18 or above.
Felony DWI, which results in mandatory incarceration, is charged if you have had a criminal DWI conviction (not DWAI) within the previous 10 years.

Call Toll free: 866-323-1462

If you have been charged with drunk driving, please contact criminal defense lawyer Raymond D. Sprowls. To schedule a free, in-office consultation, call toll free: 866-323-1462. He represents clients charged with drunk driving offenses throughout New York's Hudson Valley.

Recent Case Results

November, 2009:
Two men were arrested in a car after police claimed they had seen the driver (Mr. Sprowls’ client) throw a quantity of cocaine out the window and on to a city street. At a pre-trial suppression hearing, Mr. Sprowls successfully argued to the judge that the evidence should be suppressed. Once the evidence was suppressed, the D.A. had no choice but to dismiss all criminal charges. The defendant ended up pleading guilty to a speeding ticket!
October, 2009:
A few months after Mr. Sprowls’ client was arrested during the execution of a search warrant, Mr. Sprowls got the felony charges dismissed. The defendant had been found inside an apartment with prescription pills, marijuana, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia in the room next to where the defendant was standing. Mr. Sprowls used his extensive knowledge of search and seizure law and the facts of the case to convince the D.A. that the case could not be proven against his client and persuaded the prosecutor to dismiss the charges.
August, 2009:
The police arrested two boys and charged them with felony Criminal Mischief, claiming the boys had caused damage in excess of $500.00 to a local municipal park. The boys denied the charges. The end result? Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed in exchange for the boys’ promise each pay only $100.00. The moral of the story? Never accept the word of the police as truth -- they lie and exaggerate just as much as anyone else.
August, 2008
Two men were arrested and charged with Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class D felony. Mr. Sprowls' client had just finished serving 22 years in state prison and was on parole.

Within five weeks of the defendant's arraignment, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and the defendant is a free man.
March, 2008:
A high school-aged boy and four of his friends were arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including Burglary in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. If convicted of the Burglary Charge as an adult, Mr. Sprowls’ client could have been sentenced to anywhere between 5 and 25 years in state prison. In October, 2008, after extensive investigation and interviews with witnesses, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and his client’s bright future remained intact.
February, 2008
Five people were arrested in a commercial establishment during the execution of a search warrant. The store was a "weed spot" and had been selling to a steady stream of customers for months.

Mr. Sprowls' client was in the common area of the store when the police entered and no marijuana was found on his person.

Within a month of his arrest, Mr. Sprowls got the case against his client dismissed.
December, 2007
Two men were arrested in the City of Newburgh and charged with multiple Class D Felonies, including Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree. Mr. Sprowls' client had a lengthy criminal record going back over thirty years with a prior felony conviction. The D.A. was out for blood and insisted that the two men would go to state prison for these crimes.

Of course, Mr. Sprowls could represent only one of the defendants. After investigating the case and researching the applicable law, Mr. Sprowls advised his client to refuse all plea offers and to remain ready for trial.

The co-defendant was subsequently indicted and his case was transferred to County Court where he is looking at a state prison sentence.

Mr. Sprowls' client is now a free man. Because Mr. Sprowls knew the law and the facts of the case, all of the charges were dismissed and the defendant is home with his family.