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Attorney Robert H. Humphrey was recently interviewed by Pat Murphy of Rhode Island’s Lawyers Weekly regarding the impact of the newly passed statutes allowing for conditional hardship licenses. Attorney Humphrey was quoted as stating that he thinks the law is the most significant change in Rhode Island’s drunk driving statutes in the last twenty (20) years. “Over the course of my career, clients have always asked me ‘Can I get a hardship license? Up until January of this year, the answer has been simply, ‘no’. Now the answer, is ‘maybe.’” “From a public policy perspective, it makes sense – especially for first offenders,” and “the law will allow people to keep their jobs while under suspension.”
Attorney Humphrey went onto explain that “a defendant needs to have the interlock device installed before a plea is entered, as the hardship hearing is held immediately after the plea entry.” “The accused should then show a certificate that the ignition interlock device has been installed, and then make an argument why, for employment purposes, they need a hardship license.”
The procedures necessary to obtain a conditional hardship license are extremely complicated, so if you have questions regarding Rhode Island hardship licenses, please contact the Law Offices of Robert H. Humphrey at (401) 816-5862 or e-mail Attorney Humphrey at rhh@rhumphreylaw.com.