Experienced Rochester Defense Attorney Fights License Suspensions

New York lawyer pursues alternative dispositions of driving offenses

Having your driver’s license suspended can prevent you from getting to work, bringing your kids to extracurriculars or completing other daily tasks. The Law Office of Maurice J. Verrillo, P.C. in Rochester, New York represents clients who have had their licenses suspended or who face that possibility due to drunk driving or other serious offenses. Founded by a caring attorney with more than 30 years of experience, our firm is familiar with the courts, judges and law enforcement officers of Monroe County and the surrounding areas. We help clients in efforts to avoid the license point limit and represent them in seeking to restore revoked driving privileges.

Accomplished attorney strives to help clients keep their driving privileges

New York State can suspend a driver’s license due to various traffic offenses for a specific period of time, with a beginning and end date set by a court, or indefinitely, remaining in place until the driver takes certain steps to end it. A person with prior traffic violations on his or her record may receive a longer suspension than a first-time offender.

A few of the actions that can lead to license suspension in New York include:

• Point accumulation — The Department of Motor Vehicles may suspend the license of a driver who accumulates 11 points for traffic violations within a span of 18 months. Three to 11 points can be given for a single speeding violation. Hefty points also come with reckless driving, failure to stop for a school bus, tailgating and texting while driving.
• Intoxicated driving — A single conviction for driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving while impaired by a drug (DWAI-Drug) results in a license revocation of at least six months. Repeat offenders can have their driving privileges taken away for a year or more.
• Driving without insurance — All registered New York vehicles must be insured. When a vehicle owner or lessor fails to obtain insurance or to keep their coverage up to date, the DMV can suspend that person’s driver’s license.
• Child support violation — If a non-custodial parent fails to make court-ordered child support payments, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) can notify the DMV, which can then impose a license suspension.

In many cases, indefinite suspensions can be lifted based on compelling reasons, including the necessity of driving for work or child care. However, in certain circumstances, such as where a motor vehicle crash causes a fatality, a license may not be reinstated without approval from the DMV.

Skilled attorney seeks lenient penalties for driving with a suspended license

Getting around Western New York without a car due to license suspension is difficult, but the long-term consequences of driving on a suspended license can be significantly more painful. It is a misdemeanor punishable by jail time, probation, hundreds of dollars in fines and an extended suspension period. Worse still, driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs or with a suspended license is a felony that may result in thousands of dollars in fines and more than a year in jail.

In defending clients accused of breaking license suspensions, our firm works with prosecutors and judges to make persuasive cases for leniency based on mitigating factors. We have a track record of securing reasonable sentences that allow our clients to get back on the road so they can resume their normal lives.

Contact a caring Rochester traffic violation defense attorney for a free initial consultation

For help fighting a license suspension or getting your license restored, enlist the Law Office of Maurice J. Verrillo, P.C. in Rochester, New York. We represent clients in and around Monroe County. To schedule a free initial consultation with our office, call us at 585-563-1134 or contact us online.