Over holidays and major events, it's common for the Texas Department of Transportation to increase traffic enforcement and watch for drivers without seat belts, driving too fast, drinking and driving, or breaking other traffic laws. Law enforcement officers also watch for people not complying wit...
National media recently reported an allegedly drunken driver injuring an off-duty police officer in a vehicle crash. Few drunk-driving incidents make national media. But the injured officer just happens to moonlight as a film actor. And he also just happened to be running for mayor of the town wh...
Better Free on Bail Bail enables a defendant arrested on a DWI charge to leave jail while awaiting the DWI charge's trial, dismissal, or other disposition. Better to be free while awaiting trial than to languish in jail. Freedom on bail enables a defendant to work, care for family, and help the ...
A DWI arrest has its own direct impact. Without an aggressive and effective legal defense, a DWI conviction and fines or imprisonment may follow. But DWI arrests can have several other collateral consequences. A DWI arrest can affect security clearances, firearms licenses, legal residency status,...
Boating with an Open Container in Texas Is Legal No surprise that Texas has some of the best boating lakes and reservoirs in America. In Texas and elsewhere, boating is a great way to relax and have a good time. Adding to the fun, many boaters also enjoy a few beers or other tasty and refreshing...
Many DWI charges begin predictably. The suspected intoxicated driver weaves across the centerline or otherwise drives erratically, resulting in a lawful police stop and DWI arrest. Yet, that's not the only way that police find probable cause to suspect a DWI crime. Your vehicle making the roadway...
Public figures like elected officials, television and sports stars, and well-known business leaders are human beings. Public notoriety provides no immunity to a DWI charge. Although a few officers might look the other way when encountering a public figure suspected of a DWI, police are presumably...
Hard to imagine, but some motor vehicle drivers manage to sleep their way into a DWI arrest. One recent media report perfectly illustrates the hazard. The report indicates that San Antonio police arrested a state senator's chief of staff on a DWI charge after the officers found the staffer asleep...
A Common Scenario Here's a common DWI arrest scenario that often leaves the suspect driver baffled. The officer pulls the driver's vehicle over and engages the driver with question after question, without ever telling the suspect why they were pulled over. The officer plies the driver with quest...
If you're involved in a traffic accident where someone dies, it can be horrifying. The fear and guilt can be overwhelming. But despite your horror over the accidental loss of life, you still have to worry about possible charges, particularly if the police accuse you of driving while intoxicated. ...
You may already know that Texas takes DWI enforcement quite seriously. But did you know that there are special Texas laws for underage drivers suspected of DWI? That's what many drivers discovered during a recent underage drinking enforcement operation in Amarillo, Texas. On Friday, April 23, 20...
We all enjoy heading to the beach or the lake for Memorial Day weekend, out to watch fireworks for the Fourth of July, or to a friend's party for the Superbowl. But did you know that Texas police departments can implement “no refusal” policies during holiday weekends and high-traffic events? Duri...
If you're facing an arrest for driving while intoxicated, you're undoubtedly worried about what can happen if a court convicts you. But a DWI can also impact your career, particularly if you are a first responder or would like to become one. That's what a Lubbock Independent School District polic...
Accidents happen. We all understand that. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, car crashes injured almost 250,000 people in Texas in 2018. Unfortunately, 26% of people who died in Texas crashed involved a driver under the influence of alcohol. More alcohol-related crashes happen i...
DWI arrests and convictions go up and down from season to season and year to year. Those cycles can have several causes. Changes in DWI laws, such as lowering legal blood-alcohol limits, may expand their scope, reaching more conduct by more vehicle drivers, causing more DWI arrests and conviction...
No matter what your profession, anyone can find themselves facing accusations of driving while intoxicated. If you are a public or private school employees, the effects of an arrest, charge, or conviction for DWI can have a significant impact on your employment. A Representative Story Consider ...
Those who endure DWI arrest usually see it as a disaster far better to have avoided. What possible good can come from a DWI, with all its cost, loss, and embarrassment? Yet experience shows that sometimes a DWI can be a catalyst to badly needed change. In the best case, the crisis intervention an...
An arrest for driving while intoxicated can be scary and stressful. You may not know what you should do or say, and you're undoubtedly worried about the possible consequences of a DWI conviction in Texas. If an accident led to your DWI arrest, you might also have to deal with the fallout from dam...
If you're on probation for a DWI conviction, you know that you'll face heightened scrutiny if you're unfortunate enough to be involved in an accident. Even if you've been careful, accidents happen, even to completely sober people. However, law enforcement officials will undoubtedly assume that yo...
When the police stop you on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, it is always scary and stressful. When the police ask you to submit to a blood alcohol test, whether it's a breath test or a blood test, you may not know your best course of action. But resisting arrest or resisting a blood test ...
No one likes it when the police pull you over. Just being stopped for a traffic violation can seem inconvenient and bothersome. But if you've caused an accident and you realize the police suspect you of something more, like driving while intoxicated, it can be easy to be snappish, rude, or say so...
If there's one thing we revere in Texas, it's college football. We might be rooting for the Aggies, shouting “hook ‘em horns,” cheering for the Texas A&M Aggies, or tragically pulling for a college team outside of the great state of Texas. But whether we're admiring a perfect tight spiral from Co...
You can still have a good time. Getting home safely, rather than risking a DWI charge, sometimes just takes a little thought, a little planning. There are many options to get you home safely. A Novel Solution An Amarillo-based Don't Drink and Drive Facebook group offers a unique solution to avo...
Texas law, like laws in other states, authorizes a county's district attorney to bring in a special prosecutor in certain cases. Standard procedure is that the county's district attorney determines whether to charge a DWI, what DWI crimes to charge, and how to proceed with the trial or plea barga...
No one goes out for a good time expecting to end up in jail on a DWI charge. But DWI arrests and incarcerations certainly happen. And sometimes, depending on the day and time of arrest, the county of arrest, and other factors, that brief jail stay following an arrest can last more than the night....
If you are facing DWI or other criminal charges in Texas, contact our office today to discuss your case, so we can begin working on your defense. Please provide only your personal email and cell phone number so that we can immediately and confidentially communicate with you.
