Driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) are equally serious and have the same punishments however some may be more severe then the others and are different from state to state. The DUI charge alone, does not require a breath test. It has to do with being suspected of driving while under the influence of a drug or alcohol, due to the conditions in which a person is driving, speaking and or acting. The BAC, blood alcohol content, level limit in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut is .10%. However a bill was passed in New Jersey to lower the BAC to .08% recently, which states that a person with a BAC of .08% or higher but less then .10% will have a fine of $250.00 to $400.00 and can have their license suspended for up to three months. A person with a BAC of .10% or higher will have to pay a fine of $300.00 to $500.00 and their license can be suspended for at least seven months. The DWI charge does not require that a person have a blood alcohol content of .10% or greater while driving. Many people will plead guilty if their blood test is above a .10% BAC. The average person does not know that the test results only show their BAC at the time they were tested and not while they were actually driving.
             The penalties of being found guilty of a DUI or DWI can be very extreme or somewhat moderate. In some cases, the court will automatically give a penalty for a certain crime or violation such as refusing to take a breath test or eye test. Some states have laws used to revoke or suspend a person's license if they are convicted of a DUI. For first offenders with a BAC of more then .08% but less then .10%, they can receive a fine of $250.00 to $400.00 and no less then 12 to 48 hours in a alcohol abuse center, possible jail time for 30 days and possible suspension of their driver's license for up to three months. However if their BAC is more then .10% their fines will be greater, $300.00 to $500.00, a...