DWI arrests in Manhattan, on the West Side Highway, the FDR Drive, the Henry Hudson Parkway, at the bridges and tunnels, and on the streets in between, are prosecuted by the New York County District Attorney's office. Jonathan Kaye is a Manhattan DWI lawyer and former Assistant District Attorney who has defended New York drivers for over 30 years. He handles every case himself, and a misdemeanor DWI is a flat $1,500 legal fee. Manhattan is one of seven DWI practice areas across the city and Long Island that he handles himself.
Whether you are searching for a Manhattan DWI lawyer, a DUI attorney, or a drunk driving lawyer near you, it is the same charge and the same court. Here is what makes a Manhattan case different.
Why Manhattan DWI cases are different
Fewer arrests tends to mean each Manhattan DWI case gets closer attention. The District Attorney's office is not working through a crowded calendar of routine first offenses the way some other counties are, and a good outcome often depends on finding the genuine weaknesses in the case: the reason for the stop, how the field sobriety and breath tests were given, and whether the paperwork holds up. A drunk driving lawyer who has evaluated these cases from the prosecution side knows where those weaknesses tend to be.
Manhattan DWI arrests by the numbers
Manhattan made between about 1,600 and 2,000 DWI arrests a year from 2007 through 2014, then the number fell steadily, dropped sharply in 2020, and have stayed near 300 a year since. The 294 arrests in 2025 were down 13% from 339 in 2020, while every other borough went up over the same period.
NYPD DWI arrests in Manhattan, 2006 to 2025
Arrests the NYPD classified as intoxicated or impaired driving, by year.
View the numbers
| Year | DWI arrests |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,320 |
| 2007 | 2,020 |
| 2008 | 1,989 |
| 2009 | 1,856 |
| 2010 | 1,838 |
| 2011 | 1,598 |
| 2012 | 1,725 |
| 2013 | 2,047 |
| 2014 | 1,991 |
| 2015 | 1,506 |
| 2016 | 1,410 |
| 2017 | 1,335 |
| 2018 | 1,197 |
| 2019 | 938 |
| 2020 | 339 |
| 2021 | 306 |
| 2022 | 376 |
| 2023 | 306 |
| 2024 | 352 |
| 2025 | 294 |
Source: NYC Open Data, NYPD Arrests Data (Historic), offense category "Intoxicated & Impaired Driving."
How a Manhattan DWI case moves through 100 Centre Street
Almost every Manhattan DWI case runs through one building, 100 Centre Street, which houses both New York County Criminal Court and the criminal term of New York County Supreme Court.
| Stage | What happens | What your lawyer is doing |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest and testing | A breath test, often at an NYPD testing location, then booking. The wait before court can run close to 24 hours. | Checking whether the test came within two hours of the arrest and whether the refusal warnings were given correctly. |
| Arraignment | A judge in Criminal Court reads the charges and decides on release. With a test of .08 or higher, your license or New York driving privilege is usually suspended. | Arguing release and asking for a hardship hearing if you need to drive for work. |
| Discovery | Under CPL 245 the People must turn over the police reports, breath-test records, calibration data and video. | Reviewing the stop, the roadside tests, and the breath machine's records for problems. |
| Motions and hearings | Challenges to the stop, the arrest, and the admissibility of the test and your statements. | Pressing the problems found in discovery, which is often where an offer improves. |
| Resolution | A dismissal, a reduced plea such as DWAI, a DWI plea, or a trial. | Advising you on every option, including the license and out-of-state consequences. |
Felony cases, such as a DWI with a prior conviction within ten years, a child in the car, or a crash causing serious injury, are indicted and move upstairs to Supreme Court in the same building. See felony DWI in New York and what happens after a first DWI.
Where and when Manhattan DWI arrests happen
Manhattan's impaired-driving arrests cluster on its fast, limited-access roads and at the points where drivers enter and leave the island:
- West Side Highway (Route 9A), especially late at night north of Chelsea and around the 70s
- FDR Drive, from the Battery to the Harlem River
- Henry Hudson Parkway into Washington Heights and Inwood
- Harlem River Drive and the approaches to the Bronx bridges
- Bridge and tunnel approaches: the Holland, Lincoln and Queens-Midtown tunnels, the George Washington, Queensboro and Williamsburg bridges
- Nightlife streets on the Lower East Side, in the Meatpacking District, Midtown, and upper Broadway
The timing is late. About 56% of alcohol-involved crashes in Manhattan happen between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., and the worst hour is the one starting at midnight, when bars and restaurants start letting out. Weekends are the heaviest by a wide margin.
Alcohol-involved crashes in Manhattan, by hour
View the numbers
| Hour starting | Crashes |
|---|---|
| midnight | 102 |
| 1 a.m. | 84 |
| 2 a.m. | 73 |
| 3 a.m. | 78 |
| 4 a.m. | 72 |
| 5 a.m. | 45 |
| 6 a.m. | 31 |
| 7 a.m. | 18 |
| 8 a.m. | 15 |
| 9 a.m. | 15 |
| 10 a.m. | 16 |
| 11 a.m. | 9 |
| noon | 17 |
| 1 p.m. | 12 |
| 2 p.m. | 5 |
| 3 p.m. | 16 |
| 4 p.m. | 29 |
| 5 p.m. | 30 |
| 6 p.m. | 31 |
| 7 p.m. | 40 |
| 8 p.m. | 45 |
| 9 p.m. | 48 |
| 10 p.m. | 93 |
| 11 p.m. | 79 |
By day of the week
View the numbers
| Day | Crashes |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 224 |
| Monday | 105 |
| Tuesday | 90 |
| Wednesday | 85 |
| Thursday | 100 |
| Friday | 144 |
| Saturday | 255 |
Source: NYC Open Data, Motor Vehicle Collisions: Crashes. Police crash reports in Manhattan listing alcohol involvement as a contributing factor, January 2021 through September 2026 (1,003 crashes). Crash timing is shown because arrest records do not include the time of day.
Highway and tunnel stops raise their own questions: what the officer could really see at speed, and whether roadside tests on a narrow shoulder or a tunnel plaza were given and scored correctly. See how field sobriety tests are challenged and what happens after a refusal.
Out-of-state and commuter drivers
Many of the people arrested for DWI in Manhattan do not live here. They drove in through a tunnel or over a bridge from New Jersey, Connecticut, Westchester or Long Island, and they are now facing a case in a court far from home. The case is decided in Manhattan under New York law, but it follows you home: New York reports it to your state, which may apply its own license penalties. A Manhattan DWI attorney needs to plan for both at once. Read more about DWI charges for out-of-state drivers.
What a Manhattan DWI attorney costs
Manhattan legal fees are some of the highest in the country, and DWI is no exception. Jonathan's fee for a misdemeanor DWI in Manhattan is a flat $1,500, arraignment to resolution, agreed 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 refusal hearings are quoted individually. See exactly what the flat fee covers.
Plan your ride home in Manhattan
Nobody plans to get a DWI. Almost every DWI arrest starts with someone who felt fine to drive, and alcohol affects judgment before anything else. Manhattan is the easiest place in the state not to drive, which is why the plan matters most for people who drove in.
- If you drove in, decide how you are getting home before the first drink. The car will be fine in the garage overnight. A tow or a DWI will not be.
- The subway runs all night, and PATH, Metro-North and the LIRR run late. Check the last train home if you live outside the city.
- Remember the morning after. If you were drinking late, you may still be over the limit on the drive out of the garage the next day.
- 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 Manhattan
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.
Manhattan DWI cases in the news
These are real, public Manhattan cases, written up in full with the charges and what they mean under New York law. They show how far a DWI case can escalate when a crash causes injury or death, not what will happen in any other case.
Wrong-way driver indicted after an Uber passenger is killed near West 72nd Street
Prosecutors say a driver went north in the southbound lanes at about 3:30 a.m. and hit an Uber, killing its 65-year-old passenger. The indictment includes aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated DWI. The case is pending.
Read the full case →Driver indicted after a chain-reaction crash at 109th and Amsterdam kills two men
Police say a Mercedes SUV hit a parked car, set off a chain-reaction with other vehicles, and struck pedestrians on the sidewalk, killing two men and injuring three. The 61-year-old driver was indicted on manslaughter and DWI charges. The case is pending.
Read the full case →Driver convicted of murder for the July 4 crash that killed four
A driver with a .17 BAC drove a pickup into a July 4 gathering near the East River, killing four people and injuring seven. A jury convicted him of second-degree murder and aggravated vehicular homicide. He was sentenced to 24 years to life.
Read the full case →From public court filings, Manhattan 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 fender-bender at the Holland Tunnel that ended in a DWI arrest, and more on our DWI cases in the news page.
Manhattan DWI questions, answered
Where is a Manhattan DWI case heard?
Misdemeanor DWI cases are heard in New York County Criminal Court at 100 Centre Street in lower Manhattan. Felony DWI cases are prosecuted in New York County Supreme Court, which sits in the same building. Most people are arraigned at 100 Centre Street within about a day of the arrest.
Is a Manhattan DWI harder to get reduced?
It can be. Manhattan makes far fewer DWI arrests than it used to, and each case gets close attention from the District Attorney's office. A good result often depends on finding real problems with the stop, the testing, or the paperwork rather than expecting a routine offer. Every case is different, and nothing here predicts yours.
I was arrested in Manhattan but live in New Jersey or Connecticut. What happens?
The criminal case stays in Manhattan, and it affects your privilege to drive in New York. New York also reports the case to your home state, which may apply its own penalties to your license. You need advice that covers both sides before you resolve anything.
Do I have to come back to Manhattan for every court date?
Not always. In many misdemeanor cases a lawyer can appear for you on some dates, but you must be present when the judge requires it, including for a plea or a trial. Ask about this at the start, especially if you live out of state.
What happens to my license after a Manhattan DWI arrest?
If your breath test showed .08 or higher, the judge will generally suspend your New York license, or your privilege to drive in New York, at arraignment. A refusal leads to a separate DMV hearing and, if upheld, a one-year revocation and a $500 civil penalty. A hardship license may be possible while the case is pending.
How much does a Manhattan DWI lawyer cost?
Jonathan Kaye charges a flat $1,500 legal fee for a misdemeanor DWI in Manhattan, arraignment to resolution, agreed in writing up front. Court fines, surcharges, DMV fees and program costs are set by the State and are separate.
Arrested near Manhattan?
Jonathan defends DWI cases in every borough and on Long Island, including cases that start on a Manhattan bridge and end in another borough's court. Every one of his practice areas gets the same flat $1,500 fee for a misdemeanor DWI.