DWI/DUI
Houston DUI Attorney Offices Located in Houston and Conroe
DWI – While it is not illegal to drive after drinking in Texas, it is illegal to Drive While Intoxicated. What that means is a person has either been found to have been .08 or higher through a breath sample or blood draw sample – OR – in the opinion of the arresting officer has lost the normal use of their physical or mental faculties. That is generally determined through a series of tests called Standard Field Sobriety Tests (SFST).
How DWI affects your Texas driver’s license: DWI carries with it, among other things a license suspension through the Administrative License Revocation (ALR) process. That process starts the day of arrest for suspected DWI, when the suspect is informed of the charge and the fact that they have 15 days to request a hearing.
A Class B Misdemeanor with a 3 day minimum in jail, and 90 days to 1 year license suspension upon conviction. NOTE: A Class A Misdemeanor, if blood alcohol content is found to be 0.15 or higher.
A Class A Misdemeanor with a 30 day minimum in jail, and 180 days to 2 years license suspension upon conviction.
A Third Degree Felony, 2 to 10 years in prison, and 180 days to 2 years license suspension upon conviction.
Other unforeseen consequences of DWI are:
Intoxication Assault – A Third Degree Felony is generally a DWI that causes serious bodily injury to another. May be enhanced to a Second Degree Felony if it is found to have caused serious bodily injury to a firefighter, peace officer, or emergency medical services personnel, during the course of their official duty.
Intoxication Manslaughter – A Second Degree Felony is generally a DWI that causes the death of another by accident or mistake. May be enhanced to a First Degree Felony if it is found to have caused serious bodily injury to a firefighter, peace officer, or emergency medical services personnel, during the course of their official duty.