Habitual Traffic Offender Mansfield Woman Plead Innocent to a Second-Offense Driving Charge

MANSFIELD, N. H. _ If you drink and drive, you’d better be careful who sees you.

That’s what a Mansfield, N. H., woman found out recently.

According to police, a woman who had allegedly been drinking was lost as she drove through the Cabot Business Park. She stopped to ask directions from a man who was in the area. But he became concerned about her erratic behavior when she appeared to have trouble driving out of the parking lot and called police.

The woman, Leslea Dagostino, 35, got an eye-opening awakening that led her back to the New Hampshire court system. According to records, Dagostino is a habitual traffic offender. She’s pleaded innocent to a second-offense driving charge, as well as a charge of driving with a revoked license because she’s considered a habitual offender.

If you find yourself in trouble for any reason over driving while intoxicated charges, it’s best to consult with a New Hampshire DWI lawyer. Your lawyer can provide specialized information about the state’s severe DWI or DUI laws that can provide the best possible outcome for you.

In Dagostino’s case, prosecutors say she was charged Feb. 1 for DWI in Concord.

Her lawyer told The Sun Chronicle that she lives with her parents and had recently taken part in a six-week substance abuse program in New York.

Court records indicate she was released on a $2,000 bond and has a June 17 court date.

A DWI attorney in New Hampshire will provide a detailed plan for someone like Dagostino, who has been in legal trouble before. But even if this is your first DWI or DUI charge, you should consult with an attorney.

New Hampshire takes drinking while driving very seriously. Likewise, the state is very harsh on people who drive while under the influence of drugs, or a mixture of drugs and alcohol.

Police and other law enforcement officials in New Hampshire have a lot of leeway in pulling over drivers who they suspect may be driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If you get pulled over, there are certain things you should know.

For example, a police officer can stop you for a variety of reasons. And, if you are stopped and the officer asks you to take a Breathalyzer test, you’ve technically already agreed to do so when you received your driver’s license from the state of New Hampshire. That’s because the state has an implied consent law.

The implied consent law means that you agree in advance to take a Breathalyzer, or any other of the so-called balance tests if a police officer suspects you of drunk driving.

Why might an officer think you are drunk? Typical signs of drunk or impaired driving include driving too fast, or too slow. Or driving up on a curb, or weaving between lanes on a highway. Or, stopping and starting with a jerking motion. Perhaps, as in the case of Dagostino, someone else believes you’re driving while impaired and called 911 to report you.

There are a variety of reasons you could be stopped.

You do have the right to refuse to take a Breathalyzer. But, if you refuse, the state also has a plan of attack. Your license, according to New Hampshire law, will be revoked, or suspended for 180 days. That’s for a first refusal. The penalties only get worse for repeat offenders.

The officer might ask you do to a series of field sobriety tests. These include walking along a straight line or following other instructions the officer may ask of you.

Officers are trained to observe your reactions to these tests and these can be used in court against you. Either way, once you’ve been pulled over, you’re in a no-win situation.

That’s why it’s advisable to call a New Hampshire attorney who specializes in DWI laws.