Minnesota DWI and DUI Defense Attorneys

At the Rochester law firm of Doda & McGeeney, our lawyers advise and represent clients who have been arrested for drunk driving. We not only prepare and present your strongest available defense, we also consider the case from a broader perspective. We do everything we can to protect you from the non-criminal consequences of a DWI conviction, just as we work to resolve the criminal charges against you on favorable terms. Contact our office in Rochester for additional information about the scope of our client service in DUI and DWI cases.

Known elsewhere as DUI, or driving under the influence, the formal term for drinking and driving charges in Minnesota is DWI, short for driving while impaired. The penalties for DWI have become more stringent in recent years, and even a first offense will result in revocation of your driver’s license. An important part of our client service in DWI defense is protecting your interests in DMV license revocation hearings and applications for limited driver’s licenses so that you can at least commute to work.

There are two tiers of penalties for Minnesota DWI convictions, including guilty pleas, depending on the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) evidence used against you. Driving with a BAC of .08 percent or greater is punished less severely than driving with a BAC of .20 percent. For commercial drivers, the maximum allowable BAC is .04 percent, and for persons under 21, a BAC as low as .02 percent can result in a conviction. The penalties involve jail time, which is often suspended for first offenders, heavy fines, and license revocation of varying lengths depending on your BAC and how many DWI or DUI convictions you have had in the last ten years.

At Doda & McGeeney, our attorneys will not only analyze the circumstances of your arrest and the details of your field sobriety and blood tests to see whether your case can be defended on the merits, but we also look to your broader situation to protect what you have to lose. Whether your biggest concern is auto insurance, a probation violation, a professional license or security clearance, or even the forfeiture of your car or truck, we work with you and the prosecution to protect you from the worst possible consequences of the charge.

Different Minnesota counties handle DWI cases in different ways. Some prosecutors allow plea negotiations based on the specific circumstances of the evidence and the defendant’s situation, while others are not as flexible. Our experience with the effective defense of DUI and DWI charges can help you make the right decisions based on a realistic appraisal of your risks.

Our experience with serious felony defense can help clients facing the far more serious charges that follow a DWI arrest related to a fatal or injury accident. Conviction of criminal vehicular operations resulting in death can be punished by ten years in prison, and your defense might well require the skill of an experienced criminal trial lawyer.

For a free consultation about our ability to represent your interests effectively in defense of serious DWI charges, contact an attorney at Doda & McGeeney in Rochester.