Mandatory Alcohol Assessment
If you have been pulled over for DWI, you may be fearing the consequences. Something that you will be required to go through is a mandatory alcohol assessment.
Mandatory Alcohol Assessment | DMV
A lot of folks who are charged with a DWI need to realize that there are certain hoops that they must go through in addition to merely attending court or the Department of Motor Vehicles. One regulation that is relatively new within the last several years is that individuals are required to go through a mandatory alcohol assessment. This must be done prior to sentencing. Oftentimes certain courts like West Seneca, the judge will present you with a form and require you to go for a mandatory alcohol assessment before the case is over.
What exactly does that mean or entail? It requires that an individual who’s charged with DWAI, driving while intoxicated, whether they blew a 0.15 or less blood alcohol content, refused a chemical test, they must be screened by a New York State licensed counselor. That screening requires that they submit to a written standardized test that’s set forth by the Department of Motor Vehicles and that counselor and determine if there’s any indication that that person abuses drugs and/or alcohol. If that screening proves that you do, then the second part of that would be to go for an assessment.
Mandatory Alcohol Assessment | Counseling
That assessment is also required to be done by a licensed professional set forth by what’s commonly known as an OASAS professional. That’s the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, which is the department that monitors these individuals, so you can’t go and see your friend, Bob, who just got his license. He must be on the list, get a credible assessment, and forward that to the court within a specific timeframe. If you’re found at that point to abuse alcohol and/or drugs, the sentencing judge is required to have you attend counseling and complete that as a part of the sentencing.
If you have any questions about the mandatory alcohol assessment, please call our Buffalo DWI lawyer today to get a free consultation.