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What is Jocelyn’s Law?

On November 11, 2012, David A. Smith was riding his motorcycle on Tonawanda Creek Road in Amherst. He veered off the road and into a group of pedestrians on a bike path. The accident killed two women, Jocelyn B. Elberson, 25, and Sheila Pelton, 81, and injured Foster Pelton, 79.  Smith was initially charged with DWI and criminally negligent homicide, but pled guilty to felony first-degree vehicular manslaughter, second-degree vehicular assault, and misdemeanor DWI. He was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison. Jocelyn Elberson’s parents began pushing for legislation that instituted harsher penalties in certain DWI cases. This legislation, known as Jocelyn’s Law, would increase sentencing for those who cause the death of others in DWI accidents and have a serial history of operating motor vehicles under the influence. Read on to find out more about the law, what effects it may have on you if it’s passed, and how an attorney can help.
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How a DWI Can Affect Employment

If you have been arrested for DWI, you may have several concerns about what will happen next. One of the questions you may have is whether you can lose your job as a consequence of your arrest or conviction. Depending on what your job is and the standards to which it holds its employees, a DWI arrest or conviction could put your employment status in jeopardy. Read more to find out what grounds for termination could be, which jobs may be at risk, and how an attorney can help.
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DWI and the Legal Process

If you are arrested and charged with DWI, the burden of proof is on the prosecution. They must be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were under the influence of alcohol while you were driving. If you have been arrested for DWI, it is important that you understand what the next steps in the legal process hold for you. Read on to learn more about the hearings you may face and how an experienced DWI attorney can help you through the process and protect your rights.


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