The criminal penalties for even one drunk driving conviction in New Jersey are steep. With no aggravating circumstances like an accident, a first-time offender will have to pay a fine and will also face up to 30 days in jail. Even if jail is off the table, at a minimum, a person will have to devote 6 hours a day for 2 consecutive days to an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. The person will also face an annual $1,000 fee for 3 years. With respect to driving privilege, the person will have to drive with an ignition interlock device, installed at their expense, for 3 months. The time of this restriction is longer even if a person has as low as .10 blood alcohol content.  Until the person installs the device, his license is suspended. In short, for an average resident of Northern New Jersey, a conviction for a DWI is expensive and time-consuming. The person also will have to deal with a criminal conviction on their record and may have to pay significantly higher insurance premiums. It is worth pointing out that New York also has strict laws against drunk driving. Many people face additional consequences after driving drunk There […]