What Are The Consequences Of A DWI In Texas?
Texas has some uniquely strict DWI laws, and even a first offense could see you facing serious fines and even jail time. The severity of your punishment if convicted rests, to a great extent, with the judge who hands down your sentence. As a result, fighting your DWI charge with practiced legal help is incredibly important.
What might the consequences be if convicted?
First Conviction: A first conviction for a DWI in Texas could see you facing jail time of up to six months and potential maximum fines of up to $2,000. You could also lose your license for anywhere from 90 days to 12 months.
If your blood alcohol concentration is a 0.15 or greater then the range of punishment is increased to up to one year and jail and a fine not to exceed $4000.00.
Second Conviction: A second conviction for DWI in Texas could see you facing 30 days to 12 months in jail, along with fines of up to $4,000. What’s more, you could lose your license for 180 days to two years.
Third Conviction: A third conviction could bring with it two to 10 years in jail, up to $10,000 in fines and see you losing your license for 180 days to two years.
These consequences will almost certainly impact your time with your family, your career prospects, and your independence. Being able to drive is, for most people, one of the necessities of everyday life, and many employers will view a DWI conviction as a strike against you, no matter how skilled you are.
How Can I Fight Against DWI Charges?
A knowledgeable, attentive attorney can make all the difference in your DWI case. Let local attorney Ira Miller review the details of your arrest and seek out information, evidence, and seemingly minor points that could drastically change your outcomes for the better.
Examining Evidence: If the police claim that weaving, failure to stop at a stop sign, or other actions led to the initial stop, dashcam footage, bodycam footage, and other video evidence may contradict this claim. This evidence can refute the police’s claims to have probable cause to make the stop to begin with.
Questioning Field Sobriety Tests: Field sobriety tests are used to observe balance, eye focus, and your ability to follow instructions. However, these tests can be incredibly easy to fail, even when sober. Nervousness and tiredness can also impact the results, and an attorney can help argue these points in your defense.
Questioning Breathalyzer Test Results: The machine used to test your breath for alcohol can sometimes be faulty and show inaccurately high results. A DWI defense attorney can look into the accuracy record of the device used on you to question results and their meaning.
Here's What to Do If You Get Pulled Over
