Over 31 years · Long Island criminal defense
Over 31 years · Long Island criminal defense
I've personally defended over 2,000 people across Nassau & Suffolk for 31 years. Tell me what happened and I'll text you back.
150+ Five-Star Reviews
"Superb" Avvo Rating for over a decade
Nassau County DWI Lawyer with 31+ Years Experience
A Nassau County DWI arrest does not work like an ordinary criminal case, and it does not work like a DWI anywhere else in New York. From the moment the Intoxilyzer reading prints out, two separate machines start moving against you at once: the criminal case in Hempstead or Mineola, and the administrative case at the DMV that can suspend your license at arraignment and revoke it for a year if you refused the breath test. I am Ed Palermo, and for over 31 years I have fought both of those fronts at the same time, every week, in every Nassau County courtroom.
Most people who call me have never been arrested before. You are not a criminal. You made one decision on one night, and now you are staring at a license suspension, a permanent record, and a prosecutor’s office that treats first-offense drunk driving as seriously as a violent felony. That is exactly what I take off your shoulders.
I will answer all of your questions. I will explain the criminal charges you face. I will explain potential strategies to win your case. New clients ALWAYS feel better after they speak to me.
Ed Palermo
Why clients choose Ed
Award Winning &
Highly Rated
7-Time Best Lawyer on Long Island — 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2026
There is no Lawyer fighting harder than me!
I treasure my clients and truly appreciate that they retain me to defend them in matters of such importance. I will do everything in my power to get you a great result.
I am always directly available to my clients
All of my clients receive my personal cell phone number. Clients can contact me anytime. A client who knows that his / her lawyer is available is a happy client.
Speak Directly To Ed
We understand this can be one of the most embarrassing, stressful times in their lives. We are here to help.
After a notorious wrong-way fatality on the Meadowbrook Parkway, the Nassau County District Attorney’s office adopted internal DWI guidelines that remain in force today: severely limited plea bargaining, routine jail requests even on first offenses, and aggravated DWI charges (a BAC of .18 or higher) that the office almost never reduces. A first-offense case that would be knocked down to a non-criminal DWAI in many other counties is frequently held firm here. That single fact changes the entire strategy. In Nassau, you cannot defend a DWI by waiting to see what the DA offers, because the offer is often the charge as filed. You defend it by being ready to try it.
A refusal sets off a second case at the DMV that runs completely separate from criminal court, and it can revoke your license for a year even if the criminal charge is later reduced or dismissed. But the timing cuts in your favor more than most people realize. At arraignment the court temporarily suspends your license pending a DMV refusal hearing, and that hearing has to be scheduled within 15 days. If the DMV does not hold it in time and you have not asked to adjourn, the suspension is supposed to be lifted and your license reinstated until the hearing actually happens. I hold the DMV to that clock. When the hearing does go forward, it turns on four narrow questions about the stop, the arrest, the warnings, and whether you actually refused, and the cross-examination I do there can help your criminal case later too.
A breath number is not a conviction. The Intoxilyzer that produced your reading has to be properly calibrated, maintained, and operated, and the records have to prove it. I subpoena the calibration and maintenance logs, the simulator solution certificates, and the operator’s permit. I review the stop itself for a Fourth Amendment violation, because an illegal stop can suppress everything that followed it. I scrutinize how the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests were administered against the NHTSA protocols officers are required to follow and so often do not. When the state cuts a corner or blows a statutory discovery deadline, that becomes the case.
Aggravated DWI (BAC .18+): Nassau treats this as a near-automatic jail posture. I have negotiated favorable outcomes and won trials in cases other lawyers called hopeless.
Leandra’s Law (child under 16 in the vehicle): An automatic felony on a first offense, moved to County Court in Mineola, with mandatory ignition interlock and real prison exposure. These cases are emotional and they are won on the evidence, not on sympathy.
CDL holders: A DWI conviction, or even a DWAI, triggers a one-year commercial license disqualification regardless of whether you were in a commercial vehicle. For a truck or bus driver that is the whole career, and it drives every decision I make on the case.
Refusal cases: The refusal helps the DMV and can hurt at trial, but it also strips the state of a breath number. That cuts both ways, and how it cuts depends on the facts I pull out of the file.
As a 7-time Best Lawyer on Long Island winner devoted purely to defense, never a prosecutor, I personally handle every facet of your case from the first text to the final disposition. You get my 31+ years and my cell number, not a junior associate.
Recognized by the community
Voted Best of Long Island by readers of BestOfLongIsland.com — alongside a New York Law Journal Trailblazer Award and a “Superb” Avvo rating held for over a decade.
Featured Trial Result
I represented a Connecticut resident and professional school teacher who was arrested following a motor vehicle accident while traveling home from a concert at Jones Beach. The prosecution and local law enforcement were heavily motivated, relying on statements from the other driver involved in the crash and arresting officers who insisted that my client was behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Facing a career-ending criminal conviction and potential jail time, we refused to accept a plea bargain and pushed the matter to a full trial. I aggressively contested the state’s evidence to show that the prosecution lacked proof beyond a reasonable doubt on the critical element of motor vehicle operation. First, I obtained dismissal of the additional violations on motion during the trial. Following a comprehensive bench trial before the Honorable Joseph Girardi of the Nassau County First District Court, the court returned a NOT GUILTY verdict, completely exonerating my client and saving his teaching career.
When prosecutors demand jail time and refuse to back down, your future depends on an experienced trial attorney. Text my cell directly 24/7 to put 31+ years of trial experience in your corner.
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Legal disclaimer
I represented a Connecticut resident and professional school teacher who was arrested following a motor vehicle accident while traveling home from a concert at Jones Beach. The prosecution and local law enforcement were heavily motivated, relying on statements from the other driver involved in the crash and arresting officers who insisted that my client was behind the wheel while intoxicated.
I represented a crane operator who worked in New York City. A misdemeanor conviction would have cost him his employment, because his career depended on a clean record. I took the case to trial before Judge Girardi in Nassau County First District Court, and the jury came back with a NOT GUILTY verdict on the driving while intoxicated charge. My client walked out of court with his job, his license, and his future intact.
I represented a truck driver charged with driving while intoxicated in Nassau District Court. Any conviction for DWI, or even the reduced charge of driving while ability impaired, would have caused a one-year revocation of his commercial driver's license and ended his career. I negotiated a disposition down to a speeding ticket, avoiding any alcohol-related finding. My client kept his CDL and his livelihood.
Ed Palermo: Nassau County DWI Lawyer
I’ve dedicated over 31 years to criminal defense, representing more than 2,000 Long Island residents facing charges ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies. My practice focuses exclusively on high-stakes criminal defense and DWI cases in Nassau County courts, Suffolk County courts, and throughout Long Island.
I appear regularly in the Nassau County District Court in Hempstead handling misdemeanor offenses, the Nassau County Court in Mineola defending serious felony indictments, and local village and town justice courts across Nassau County. I know the prosecutors, the judges, and the distinct court culture in each jurisdiction, knowledge that comes only from decades of consistent, daily courtroom presence.
My trial experience matters. I’ve secured “not guilty” verdicts in complex cases. I’ve negotiated favorable, non-custodial outcomes in cases where clients faced state prison time. I’ve successfully gotten serious felony charges reduced and dismissed when prosecutors were certain they held air-tight cases.
But what I’m most proud of is how my clients feel after our first conversation. That initial crushing wave of panic transforms into absolute confidence once they realize they have an experienced advocate who knows exactly how to dismantle the District Attorney’s case.
Client Reviews
“During the most difficult time of my life, l contacted…”
During the most difficult time of my life, l contacted Mr. Ed Palermo to represent me in criminal court for DWI. From the very beginning, his professionalism was exemplary. Considering the legal complexities of my case, he guided me and addressed every one of my concerns. He kept me informed and assured me of a favorable outcome in spite of tremendous odds. I highly recommend Mr. Ed Palermo to anyone wishing to obtain skilled legal representation in criminal court.
“...when I tell you he got my case dismissed i mean DISMISSED...”
I had a DWI case in Nassau and when I tell you he got my case dismissed i mean DISMISSED and DWI wasn’t the only charge
“I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this…”
I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this firm. Ed Palermo is a highly contentious criminal defense attorney and an aggressive litigator. From the time I hired Edward Palermo, I knew I had chosen the right attorney for my DWI case. He is extremely professional, and knowledgeable. His "right hand" Paralegal Bea Alvarez is amazing and is always available to assist and answer any questions. I can't speak highly enough about this firm. If you find yourself in need of an experience attorney, who will make you feel a priority as his only client, this is the one. You will not be disappointed.
Where you were stopped determines almost everything about how your case moves. Nassau routes DWI cases through three very different rooms, and the strategy changes in each one.
The window right after arraignment is the one most people waste, and it is the one that decides the case.
I file my notice of appearance immediately and start the statutory automatic discovery clock running against the prosecution. Nassau’s office is stretched, and calibration records, precinct video, and the operator’s permit for the Intoxilyzer do not always arrive on time. When they do not, that becomes a motion, and sometimes it becomes the whole case.
I move on your license separately. If you refused, I hold the DMV to its 15 day scheduling requirement. If you took the test, I go after a hardship privilege at arraignment so you can keep driving to work and to school while the case runs.
I pull whatever mitigation exists before the prosecutor forms a view of you. In a county where the offer is often the charge as filed, the version of you the DA sees first matters.
Do not sit alone with your anxiety while prosecutors build their case. Tap the button below to text my personal cell phone directly. Let me bring you immediate relief and a clear plan to protect your license and liberty.
If you have just been pulled over or arrested for driving while intoxicated in Nassau County, you are likely trapped in a sudden, overwhelming wave of panic, intense embarrassment, and self-loathing. Staring at a set of criminal charges, facing an immediate driver’s license suspension, and realizing your career could be completely destroyed is a terrifying place to be. I want you to take a deep breath right now: this is not the end of the world, and an aggressive, highly capable path to a light at the end of the tunnel is on the horizon.
For more than 31 years, the very first text or phone call clients make to my office brings an immediate, profound sense of relief. When you speak to me, the shame and anxiety leave the room. I don’t lecture you, I don’t judge you, and I don’t pass blame. My singular job is to take the entire weight of the state off your shoulders, secure your immediate peace of mind, and construct a defense shield between you and an exceptionally aggressive prosecution framework. Once I take over your file, you will finally understand that your future can be saved.
Nassau charges impaired driving under several different sections of the Vehicle and Traffic Law, and the section you are charged under drives your entire exposure. Find yours below.
If you hold a CDL, a conviction disqualifies you for a year whether or not you were driving commercially, and that single fact drives every decision I make on the case. If you are facing charges on top of the DWI, or something that is not on this list, here is how I handle criminal charges in Nassau County more broadly, and how I handle DWI defense across Long Island.
I do not run a volume practice. Your file is never handed to a clerk or to a junior associate who has never picked a jury or cross-examined a highway patrol officer. You deal directly with me. I map the defense, I negotiate with prosecutors I have stood beside for over 31 years, and I stand next to you in front of the judge. Every client I take gets my cell number.
If you were arrested last night and you are reading this at four in the morning, text me. Tell me what happened at the stop and I will tell you what you are actually facing.
CLICK HERE TO TEXT MY PERSONAL CELL: (631) 903-3733
Legal Authority & Author Attribution: This page was written and reviewed by Edward Palermo, Esq., a Long Island DWI defense attorney with over 31 years of daily practice inside Nassau and Suffolk County courts. Recognized as a 7-time Best Lawyer on Long Island. Lifelong defender, never a prosecutor. Mineola office at 1539 Franklin Avenue.
Fees vary based on the complexity and severity of the case. Simple first-offense DWI cases may cost $2,500 to $5,000, while aggravated DWI or felony cases requiring trial preparation could cost $7,500 to $15,000 or more. I offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case and provide transparent pricing.
Learn more about the cost of a Nassau County DWI lawyer here.
Yes, it is possible. DWI charges can be dismissed or reduced if there are procedural errors, unreliable breathalyzer results, or constitutional violations. An experienced lawyer will review every detail of your arrest to identify weaknesses in the prosecution's case.
Your first appearance is the arraignment, which typically occurs at Nassau County First District Court in Hempstead, Long Beach City Court, or Nassau County Court in Mineola depending on where you were arrested and the severity of the charges. You'll be informed of the charges and asked to enter a plea. The court may also address bail and issue orders.
Your license will typically be suspended at arraignment pending the outcome of your case. However, you may be eligible for a conditional license that allows you to drive to work, school, and medical appointments. A DWI lawyer can help you understand your options and fight to protect your driving privileges.
This is a complex decision. Refusing a breathalyzer test in New York results in an automatic license suspension and a civil penalty. However, refusing may also limit the evidence against you. The best course of action depends on your specific circumstances—if you've already been arrested, contact a lawyer immediately to discuss your case.
Most DWI cases in Nassau County resolve within 3 to 6 months, though complex cases or those going to trial may take longer. The timeline depends on court scheduling, motions filed, and whether plea negotiations are successful.
You should immediately remain silent and request a DWI defense attorney. Anything you say can be used against you, and a lawyer can protect your rights from the very beginning.
Learn more about what to do if arrested for a DWI in Nassau County.
A first-time DWI is typically a misdemeanor, but it can be charged as a felony if there are aggravating factors like prior convictions, injuries, or a child passenger. The severity of the charge depends on your criminal history and the circumstances of the arrest.
