DWI arrests across the Bronx, on the Major Deegan, the Cross Bronx, the Bruckner, the Bronx River Parkway and the streets in between, are prosecuted by the Bronx County District Attorney's office. Jonathan Kaye is a Bronx DWI lawyer and former Assistant District Attorney who has defended New York drivers for over 30 years. He answers his own phone, he handles every case personally, and a misdemeanor DWI is a flat $1,500 legal fee.
Whether you call it a DWI or a Bronx DUI, the most important advice comes first: do not make any decision about your case at your first court date until a lawyer has looked at it.
Your first Bronx court date: do not plead yet
Here is what the first day looks like, and what a Bronx DWI attorney does at each step:
Bronx DWI arrests by the numbers
The NYPD made 558 DWI arrests in the Bronx in 2025, up 48% from 377 in 2020 and the third most in the city, behind Queens and Brooklyn. Bronx arrests peaked at 1,301 in 2014, fell to a low during 2020, and have risen in most years since, with the sharpest jump in the latest year.
NYPD DWI arrests in the Bronx, 2006 to 2025
Arrests the NYPD classified as intoxicated or impaired driving, by year.
View the numbers
| Year | DWI arrests |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 868 |
| 2007 | 1,133 |
| 2008 | 1,201 |
| 2009 | 1,159 |
| 2010 | 1,144 |
| 2011 | 954 |
| 2012 | 941 |
| 2013 | 1,292 |
| 2014 | 1,301 |
| 2015 | 912 |
| 2016 | 1,058 |
| 2017 | 974 |
| 2018 | 945 |
| 2019 | 758 |
| 2020 | 377 |
| 2021 | 401 |
| 2022 | 449 |
| 2023 | 479 |
| 2024 | 436 |
| 2025 | 558 |
Source: NYC Open Data, NYPD Arrests Data (Historic), offense category "Intoxicated & Impaired Driving."
Where and when Bronx DWI arrests happen
The Bronx is crossed by some of the busiest highways in the city, and a large share of impaired-driving arrests come off the Major Deegan Expressway, the Cross Bronx Expressway, the Bruckner, the Bronx River Parkway, and the Hutchinson River Parkway. On surface streets, stops turn up along the Grand Concourse, Fordham Road, East Tremont Avenue, Southern Boulevard, and Castle Hill Avenue, and around nightlife in Mott Haven, Arthur Avenue, and City Island.
Police crash reports show that about 51% of the Bronx's alcohol-involved crashes happen between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., with the worst hour starting at midnight. Saturdays and Sundays each see about 2.5 times as many as a typical weekday.
Alcohol-involved crashes in the Bronx, by hour
View the numbers
| Hour starting | Crashes |
|---|---|
| midnight | 128 |
| 1 a.m. | 89 |
| 2 a.m. | 85 |
| 3 a.m. | 79 |
| 4 a.m. | 88 |
| 5 a.m. | 62 |
| 6 a.m. | 32 |
| 7 a.m. | 28 |
| 8 a.m. | 33 |
| 9 a.m. | 18 |
| 10 a.m. | 9 |
| 11 a.m. | 13 |
| noon | 25 |
| 1 p.m. | 22 |
| 2 p.m. | 19 |
| 3 p.m. | 19 |
| 4 p.m. | 27 |
| 5 p.m. | 40 |
| 6 p.m. | 48 |
| 7 p.m. | 64 |
| 8 p.m. | 64 |
| 9 p.m. | 82 |
| 10 p.m. | 74 |
| 11 p.m. | 87 |
By day of the week
View the numbers
| Day | Crashes |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 285 |
| Monday | 150 |
| Tuesday | 85 |
| Wednesday | 103 |
| Thursday | 130 |
| Friday | 179 |
| Saturday | 303 |
Source: NYC Open Data, Motor Vehicle Collisions: Crashes. Police crash reports in the Bronx listing alcohol involvement as a contributing factor, January 2021 through September 2026 (1,235 crashes). Crash timing is shown because arrest records do not include the time of day.
Highway stops raise their own defense questions: what the officer actually observed at speed, and whether roadside tests on a highway shoulder at night were given and scored correctly. See how field sobriety tests are challenged.
First-offense options in the Bronx
Every case turns on its own facts, and nothing here predicts yours. But most first-offense Bronx DWI cases with no crash and no injury end in one of a handful of ways:
| Outcome | What it means | Criminal record? |
|---|---|---|
| Dismissal | The case ends, often because of a problem with the stop, the test, or the evidence. | No |
| Reduction to DWAI | A plea to driving while ability impaired, usually with a fine, a short suspension, and the Impaired Driver Program. | No. It is a traffic infraction. |
| Misdemeanor DWI plea | Typically a conditional discharge or probation, fines, the Impaired Driver Program, and an ignition interlock. | Yes |
| Trial | The People must prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt. | Only if convicted |
Separately, many drivers qualify for a conditional license through the Impaired Driver Program so they can get to work while the suspension runs. Learn how a DWI gets reduced to DWAI and how the conditional license works.
When a Bronx DWI becomes a felony
A DWI becomes a felony in New York when there is a prior DWI conviction within ten years, a child 15 or younger in the car (Leandra's Law), or a crash that causes serious physical injury or death. Those cases move to Bronx Supreme Court at the Hall of Justice, 265 East 161st Street, and carry state-prison exposure. The Bronx cases below show how that happens. See felony DWI in New York.
What a Bronx DWI attorney costs
Jonathan's fee for a misdemeanor DWI in the Bronx is a flat $1,500, arraignment to resolution, in writing before any work begins. No hourly billing, no retainer to replenish, and no hand-off to an associate. Felony cases, trials, and separate DMV hearings are quoted individually. See exactly what the flat fee covers.
Plan your ride home in the Bronx
Nobody plans to get a DWI. Almost every DWI arrest starts with someone who felt fine to drive, which is the problem: alcohol affects judgment before anything else. The decision about how you get home has to be made before the first drink.
- The subway runs all night across much of the Bronx, and Metro-North serves parts of the borough. Check the late-night route before you go out.
- Plan harder in the car-dependent corners. City Island, Throgs Neck, Country Club and much of Riverdale are a long way from a train.
- Remember the morning after. If you were drinking late, you may still be over the limit on the drive to work.
- Do not sleep it off behind the wheel. In New York, sitting in the driver's seat with the engine running can be enough to be charged, even when parked.
If alcohol is part of the story: local help in the Bronx
A DWI arrest does not mean someone has a drinking problem. But if you or someone close to you has been worried about drinking, this is a good moment to look into it, and taking that step on your own can also be something your lawyer presents on your behalf.
Bronx DWI cases in the news
These are real, public Bronx cases, written up in full with the charges and what they mean under New York law. They show how a DWI escalates when a crash or injury is involved, not what will happen in any other case.
Driver indicted after a 100 mph crash kills two moped riders
Prosecutors say a Mercedes hit two moped riders near East 223rd Street at about 1 a.m. while traveling 100 mph in a 50 zone. The driver's BAC was .08, right at the legal limit, yet the top charge is aggravated vehicular homicide. The case is pending.
Read the full case →Man indicted after a red-light crash kills a woman and injures an off-duty officer
Prosecutors say a Lincoln sped through a red light on Castle Hill Avenue just before 1 a.m., killing a 27-year-old passenger and seriously injuring her boyfriend, an off-duty NYPD officer. The driver's Intoxilyzer reading was .128. The case is pending.
Read the full case →Van jumps the curb and strikes two pedestrians outside storefronts
Police say a van drifted across Monterey Avenue, mounted the sidewalk, and hit two pedestrians before striking a building. Both are expected to recover. The Connecticut driver was charged with DWI.
Read the full case →From public court filings, Bronx District Attorney releases and news reports. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt. Every person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Also see: a hit-and-run on Southern Boulevard solved by a cab driver, and more on our DWI cases in the news page.
Bronx DWI questions, answered
Where is a Bronx DWI case heard?
Misdemeanor DWI cases are heard in Bronx Criminal Court, 215 East 161st Street. Felony DWI cases are handled in Bronx Supreme Court, Criminal Term, at the Bronx County Hall of Justice, 265 East 161st Street, in the Concourse section near Yankee Stadium.
Should I plead guilty at my Bronx arraignment?
Usually not without a lawyer's review. A plea at arraignment is almost always permanent, and before any evidence has been turned over it is impossible to know whether the stop, the test, or the paperwork has problems. Many first-offense cases resolve far better once discovery is in.
Can I get a hardship license after a Bronx DWI arrest?
If your test showed .08 or higher, the judge will generally suspend your license at arraignment. You can ask for a hardship hearing, and if you can show that you have no other way to get to work, school, or medical care, the court can grant a limited license while the case is pending.
Can a Bronx DWI be reduced to a traffic ticket?
A common goal in a first-offense case is a reduction from DWI, a misdemeanor, to DWAI, a traffic infraction and not a crime. Whether that is realistic depends on the BAC, whether there was a crash, your record, and the strength of the evidence.
How much does a Bronx DWI lawyer cost?
Jonathan Kaye charges a flat $1,500 legal fee for a misdemeanor DWI in the Bronx, arraignment to resolution, agreed in writing up front. Court fines, surcharges, DMV fees and program costs are set by the State and are separate.
I live in New Jersey or Connecticut. What happens to my license?
A New York DWI affects your privilege to drive in New York, and New York reports the case to your home state, which may apply its own penalties. An out-of-state driver needs advice on both sides before resolving the case.
Arrested near the Bronx?
Jonathan defends DWI cases throughout the city and on Long Island, including cases that start on a Bronx highway and end in another borough's court.