Plea to an amended count of 4th Degree DWI as a misdemeanor. This is truly a remarkable outcome for the client because she registered a .26 breath alcohol concentration - more than three times the legal limit. Negotiating down to a misdemeanor DWI is no easy task, even when the client blows a .17 (just over the .16 aggravating factor level). So, to achieve a misdemeanor outcome with this high of a reading is unheard of - except for when North Star Criminal Defense gets involved (because this isn't our first time pulling this off even). Taking a big picture approach, the North Star team figured out what was at stake and how to get the outcome needed for the client to be able to keep moving forward without having this be a major hurdle. Mission accomplished!

Plea to an amended count of Careless Driving. Client blew .12 and had no legal defenses to fight the case. Typically, the cut-off to plea to a non-DWI is .10. If you blow above it, good luck trying to get a non-DWI conviction via negotiations. And that was how the prosecutor initially reacted. But, the client could NOT have a DWI conviction on her record for fear of losing her career and even licensing. There was a lot at stake, to say the least. The North Star team worked with the client to get all of the information needed to explain her unique situation and then advised on proactive steps that would better position her for making a strong pitch for the outcome needed. Thankfully, after many hearings and many communications/negotiations with the prosecutors office, we finally got the outcome needed. Making it even sweeter - no jail or community service to complete, and probation to the court. A truly incredible outcome achieved, once again, by North Star.

License revocation rescinded. The client pled guilty to an amended count of Careless Driving on a 3rd Degree DWI and preserved her right to fight the license revocation. And thanks to a strong argument and well argued written brief, the Court agreed that the administration of the breath test was done improperly, thereby jeopardizing the reliability of the test results. The license revocation was rescinded, meaning she does not have an alcohol-related loss of license on her driving record. Coupled with the plea to a non-DWI, her records remain clear of any type of DWI. This is a huge result for a deserving client.

Plea to an amended charge of Careless Driving. Client had no defenses and a reading right on the fringe of viability to plead down from a DWI. Thankfully, the client took immediate proactive steps to position herself for this outcome. And armed with these steps - above and beyond what is typical - not only did the North Star team successfully avoid a DWI conviction, but the client was placed on unsupervised probation and faced a reduced fine. She was thrilled with this outcome, knowing that this conviction record will not hold her back from her lofty career aspirations.

Plea to an amended charge of Careless Driving. The client blew a .13 after exhibiting rather poor driving conduct and failed the field sobriety tests. Usually, anything above a .10 is a plea to a DWI. But, doing so would jeopardize the client's employment and possibly even his career. Armed with the client's proactive steps and a diligent negotiation strategy, Mr. Gempeler worked hard with the prosecutor to get this non-DWI outcome that was absolutely critical to save the client's livelihood. Thankfully, the strategy and steps paid off and the client got the needed outcome.

Plea to an amended count of Careless Driving. The client blew a .20, making this first-time offense a gross misdemeanor due to the elevated alcohol reading. Typically, a great outcome for a 3rd Degree DWI - especially when it's a .20 reading - is to get a plea to a misdemeanor DWI. Here, that would still result in a loss of employment because the client was a commercial airlines pilot who needed to fly in and out of Canada. Any DWI conviction prevents entry into Canada. Knowing this, Mr. Gempeler got to work advising the client on the number of steps he could take to position himself as best as possible for negotiations, and sought the needed documentation to verify everything. We also obtained an opinion letter from an aviation attorney who specialized in how DWI's impacts pilots and their ability to fly to Canada. Utilizing all of this information and proof, Mr. Gempeler engaged in lengthy and ultimately successful negotiations to get a Careless Driving plea for the client. In doing so, the client's future is preserved. A truly remarkable and rare outcome, but one that is not so rare when the North Star team is involved.

Plea to an amended count to a misdemeanor 4th Degree DWI. This was a first-time offense with a high reading - .20. Usually when the reading is so high - .04 above the .16 threshold to make it a gross misdemeanor - obtaining a plea to a reduced misdemeanor DWI is very difficult. The North Star team capitalized on a unique issue that it raised (but would unlikely be successful as a legal challenge) to negotiate this outstanding outcome for the client. She is thrilled that her record now shows a misdemeanor outcome consistent with a true first-time DWI, which will be much more manageable for her explaining it away during background checks.

Case dismissed. Client was alleged to have refused the official breath test at the station. But, critically, he was not read the breath test advisory, which advises him of his legal rights (most importantly, his right to consult with a lawyer), prior to making a decision to take the breath test. Because of the officer's failure to advise him of his rights (which is required by law), the refusal could not be upheld. And without the refusal charge, the DWI investigation lacked sufficient facts to justify the fourth-degree under the influence charge. The North Star team set out to aggressively litigate these issues. But, short of the motion hearing, the State called in advance to talk over the case and quickly realized that it had to dismiss the case. After earning this dismissal, the North Star team set out to rescind the license revocation that stemmed from this unlawful criminal charge. And despite an AG attorney that would not dismiss it, we litigated the matter and successfully argued to the Court that the refusal was not lawful and the license revocation was, in fact, rescinded. A win all the way through. Another terrific result for the North Star team and proving, once again, that it's strategic and strong approach gets results!