What is New York’s Open Container Law?

It sometimes happens that being pulled over for a minor traffic infraction can lead to being charged with something more serious. Recently, a woman in Niagara Falls was pulled over for failing to signal a turn. According to the Buffalo News, the woman was driving with a revoked license for a prior DWI conviction and had open beer cans in the back seat of her car. She failed the Field Sobriety Tests administered to her and was then charged with several DWI-related offenses, as well as failure to use a turn signal, which was why she was initially pulled over. Read this blog post to learn more about New York’s Open Container Law, as well as how minor traffic infractions like those described here can lead to more serious charges and how an attorney can help.


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DWI Enforcement During the Holiday Season

Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced that, throughout the holiday season, New York State police have been committed to a “crackdown on impaired driving”. New York State has been participating in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, designed to increase safety by installing sobriety checkpoints, increasing the number of Troopers on the road, and being more vigilant about potential DWI offenses. During this campaign, and throughout the rest of the year, police look for things such as moving violations as evidence that someone may be driving under the influence. Read on to find out how police may determine that someone is driving while intoxicated, what the penalties could be, and how a DWI attorney can help.
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Erie County’s New “Drink and Drive, Lose Your Ride” Policy

Although the number of DWIs is falling in Erie County, Sheriff Tim Howard says there is still a surprising number of recurring DWI offenders. The county has put a policy into effect with the intended result of reducing the number of repeat DWIs in the area. This policy, called “Drink and Drive, Lose Your Ride”, states that, if someone is charged with their second felony DWI, prosecutors have the power to potentially seize and auction off their vehicle. Read on to see what constitutes a DWI felony, how the Drink and Drive, Lose Your Ride policy may impact you, and how a DWI attorney can help.
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