Home » Drink Driving - The Legal Ramifications

However, that has not stopped people continuing to drink and drive. Anyone who has ever visited a Local Court here in New South Wales any morning of the week will see many, otherwise law abiding citizens appearing before the Court in respect of drink driving offenses. Drink drinking is an offence which crosses all social boundaries and is committed by people who have often never committed any other crime and are never likely to in the future and are otherwise good and decent members of society. Many of the persons who appear in Court for drink driving offences are shocked at the seriousness and severity with which the Court deals with these matters and the range of very tough penalties including imprisonment. The fact is that drink driving is a serious criminal offence and one which has the potential to lead to death and injury. However, whilst a drink driving offender may often have little alternative other than to plead guilty, the Court process enables relevant information and submissions to be made before the Magistrate determines what the penalties are to be. Skilled legal representation may assist the Court in better understanding the circumstances surrounding the offence itself and those of the individual offender. Submissions can also be placed before the Court as to the suitability of a particular penalty and a reduction in the automatic disqualification period. It is recommend that any person charged with a drink driving offence including refusing a breath test, obtain as soon as possible legal representation to enable the very best case to be prepared, even when you intend to plead guilty. John Cox and Michael Ghobrial of Cox Lawyers have been representing drink driving offenders for many years and will provide you with practical and clear advice that will ensure the best possible results. To view a table of penalties for alcohol related offences which you will see is broken down into high, mid, and low ranges and penalties for first and second offences, go to this web site.