Experienced DWI and Criminal Defense Attorney in Katy, TX

Katy, Texas, is located in the Houston metropolitan area in Harris County. It's a small community with a crime rate that is relatively low. The chances of being a victim of a violent crime, like robbery, assault, or murder are 1 in 321 – again, very low both for Texas and nationwide standards. If you are a victim of a crime, it's probably a property crime. If, on the other hand, you are the subject of criminal activity, chances are it is related to drinking and driving.

Drinking and driving crimes matter. A conviction carries the potential for license suspension, incarceration and steep fines, among other DWI penalties. A conviction also carries what is known as collateral consequences. These are where the real detrimental impact of a DWI are at play – it can affect your home life as much as it can your professional life.

Doug Murphy, a Board Certified DWI defense lawyer (certified by the National College for DUI Defense) and Board Certified criminal law attorney (certified by the Texas Board Legal Specialization), is passionate about DWI defense. He knows most of you are hard-working citizens. He knows some of you were probably not even illegally intoxicated when arrested while others of you simply made a mistake. There's no reason – especially if no one was hurt – to lose your livelihood and face other challenges because on one occasion you acted on poor judgment.

Here, we provide an overview of drunk driving in Katy, Texas, why the charge is significant, and why you should fight it.

Katy, TX DWI Overview

Residents of Katy who are arrested for a DWI are usually not arrested within Katy city limits but are typically arrested returning home from Houston. Some of these arrests are, of course, made on what's known as the world's widest freeway – the Katy Freeway at Beltway 8, which is 26 lanes across.

If arrested for DWI within Katy city limits, you will likely be booked and spend the night at the Katy Police Department located at 5456 Franz Road. If you are arrested in or around Houston, you could end up at another area jail for the night.

Why Fighting a DWI Charge in Katy, TX Matters

The City of Katy is home to a small community of over 21,000 people, most of whom are married and nearly half have children under the age of 18. The median household income is higher than the average in Harris County and the nation's average at $115,250 versus $65,788 and $69,021, respectively. Most of Katy residents are employed in professional, management, or office support industries. Some of the higher-paying jobs held by Katy residents include:

• Architecture & Engineering Occupations ($125,989)
• Computer & Mathematical Occupations ($187,747)
• Fire Fighting & Prevention, & Other Protective Service Workers including Supervisors ($131,725).

Some of these positions may require a professional license, security clearance, or traveling. If so, then a DWI conviction could put your license or security clearance in jeopardy. It can impact other things, too, like:

• Child custody, depending on the circumstances of the DWI (were you charged with a DWI with a child in the vehicle or have you had multiple DWI arrests?), a DWI could impact your right to shared custody of a child;
• Housing, a felony DWI can disqualify you from some housing;
• Loans, a felony DWI or drug-related DWI could pose a risk to any educational, personal, or mortgage loans for which you want to apply later in life;
• The right to vote, a felony DWI can result in your right to vote; and
• The right to own and use a firearm, a felony DWI can result in the denial of your Second Amendment.

Plus, once you have one conviction under your belt, if you are arrested again for a DWI, the penalties will be progressively harsher.

As you can see, a DWI conviction does not just mean a short stint in jail, a fine, and license suspension; it can also impact your day-to-day living in very real and meaningful ways. For a person with a good job and a family, that's not something you want to experience. But the only way to prevent it is to fight the DWI charge in the first place.

And these charges are defensible. You just need the right DWI attorney in the Houston metropolitan area to do it for you.

Who to Hire to Fight Your DWI Charge in Katy, TX

It's easy enough to Google "DWI defense lawyer in Katy, TX" to identify a list of attorneys. You may choose to pick the first on the list of search results. But you should know, all DWI defense attorneys are not alike. It's one thing to know the law, but it is another thing entirely to know the highly technical and scientific nature of a DWI offense. For DWI cases to be successful, you need an attorney who:

• Has a deep understanding of DWI law;
• Has a working understanding of the science behind blood and breath test results;
• Has a working understanding of the technical aspects of field sobriety tests, chemical tests, and the equipment used to administer the latter;
• Can identify errors or violations of your constitutional rights made by the police;
• Can identify problems in the handling of breath or blood specimens;
• Can identify an issue with the chain of custody of a blood sample;
• Has the capability to negotiate strategically;
• Has the capability to argue persuasively;
• Has the capability to put together solid, viable defense strategies; and
• Has proven experience successfully helping DWI suspects.

That's a lot to consider. An attorney who only knows the law may not have the insight and working knowledge to identify problems and to craft a successful DWI defense strategy – and that's a bigger problem for you.

Doug Murphy is experienced and committed. He is the right attorney to help you with your DWI charge in Katy, Texas. Contact Doug Murphy today at 713-229-8333.