Burlington Vermont DWI Lawyer

The term for drunk driving in Vermont is DUI or Driving Under the Influence. It can also be referred to as Driving While Intoxicated or DWI. Whatever the designation, drinking and driving is a serious offense that could impact your life for a long time. Defending yourself is difficult and the penalties for being found guilty are severe. The courts, police and prosecutor will not be concerned with your interests in their effort to secure a conviction.

You do not have to fight the charges alone however. An experienced Vermont DUI/DWI defense lawyer will protect your rights and get you the best possible result for your case.

Burlington DWI Lawyer Jason Sawyer knows Vermont DWI laws and the DUI court system well. He has successfully handled jury trials, traffic offenses, criminal cases and cases of driving while intoxicated in Chittenden County. Jason Sawyer provides a complete drunk driving defense that gets results.

Chittenden County DWI Attorney Jason Sawyer will challenge every point of the prosecution's argument. If it cannot prove its case beyond a shadow of a doubt, your DWI could be reduced or even dismissed.

Call for a Free Case Review
To request a free initial consultation with Burlington Vermont DWI Lawyer Jason Sawyer, call (802) 310-6871 or fill out the form to the left. He will review your case details, answer your questions and outline your legal options. Time is very important in a DWI defense, so call now for the best result for your driver's license and your case.

About Your Driver's License
Following an arrest for drunk driving in Burlington, Vermont or Chittenden County, two cases will be filed against you. A criminal charge that is resolved in the courts and a civil case that will try to suspend your driver's license. The two cases are separate and different. You could be found not guilty of DWI and still lose your license. While the length of the suspension is influenced by a number of factors, a first offense usually results in a minimum 3-month sanction. Hardship or work permits are not available in Vermont.

You can petition the Department of Motor Vehicles and challenge the license suspension. You must, however, file the request within 7 days of the date of your arrest. If you do not, your license will be automatically suspended.

Chittenden County Vermont DWI Lawyer Jason Sawyer can help you with your civil suspension hearing. Contact him immediately and ask him to petition the DMV on your behalf. Jason Sawyer's legal guidance during the complex hearing could improve your chances of retaining your driving privileges.

VT DWI Penalties
There are two ways the state can try to prove a case of driving while intoxicated in Vermont. One is filing charges for having a blood alcohol content in excess of .08%. The other is charging you with impairment, without BAC evidence.

Sentencing for a first-offense Vermont DWI could include a jail term, probation, fines, loss of license, community service, surcharges for several anti-drunk driving programs, alcohol education classes and an alcohol assessment that could lead to further treatment.

Your auto insurance policy may be cancelled or your premiums greatly increased. Depending on the circumstances of your case, your vehicle could be seized. A conviction for Vermont DWI will result in a criminal record, which could jeopardize your employment. It could also keep you from traveling to Canada, as that country is using increased data sharing with the U.S. to deny entry to anyone with a criminal record, regardless of the nature of the crime.

The consequences of a DWI in Vermont have many long-term consequences. Protect your future and contact Burlington DWI Attorney Jason Sawyer.

Permanent Arrest Record
A conviction for drunk driving in Vermont will be a permanent mark on your driver's license record. Prosecutors will be able to look at your record for prior alcohol related arrests when determining charges and penalties for any subsequent DWI arrests. Having two or more convictions in a lifetime will result in felony charges being filed in the latest offense.

Offenses in other states would also have an impact on your Vermont case. As a member of the Interstate Driver's License Compact, Vermont shares information on traffic infractions with many other states.

Chittenden County Vermont DWI Attorney Jason Sawyer will use his experience and legal skills to try and keep your record clean. Contact Jason Sawyer now for more information.

About Attorney Jason Sawyer
Burlington Vermont DWI Attorney Jason Sawyer practices criminal law, and represent motorists accused of driving while intoxicated in Chittenden County.

Attorney Jason J. Sawyer is permitted to practice law in all Vermont state courts, as well as the United States District Court for the District of Vermont, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Supreme Court of the State of Iowa and the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa.

Jason Sawyer graduated from Grinnell College and earned a juris doctorate from the University of Iowa College of Law, graduating with distinction. He has the unique distinction of interning for the Shadow Foreign Minister in the English House of Commons in London. Attorney Sawyer is the current president of the Vermont Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Vermont delegate to the National College for DUI Defense. He is a member of the Vermont Trial Lawyers Association, the Vermont Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Iowa State Bar Association and the National College for DUI Defense. He attended the Western Trial Advocacy Institute in Wyoming, an intensive course in legal defense strategy, as well as the NCDD Summer Sessions at Harvard University.

Burlington Lawyer Jason Sawyer was part of the legal team that successfully argued the case of State v. Goldberg, which affirmed the need for corroboration of probable cause in the issuance of search warrants. That important ruling helped protect the privacy rights of all people of Vermont.

Request A Free Consultation
Chittenden County Vermont DWI Lawyer Jason Sawyer offers a free initial review of your case. To learn more about the law firm, your legal options and the law firm's fees, fill out the consultation request form to the left or call (802) 310-6871. There is no obligation and the inquiry is confidential, so act now.