What Is the Legal Penalty for DWI in Dallas, Texas?
Just like in most other states, DUI is taken very seriously in Dallas, Texas. The reason DUI is considered to be such a serious crime is because of the serious amount of harm it can cause to the driver and other individuals who are sharing the road with them.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 29 individuals are killed each day due to a DUI related accident.
When a person is driving, they generally require very high levels of concentration and attentiveness in order to stay safe and prevent themselves from getting into an accident. With driving already being such a difficult task to do, being intoxicated while driving greatly increases the chances for a driver to get into a serious accident.
What are the consequences for DWI?
If it is determined that a person really was DWI, they will have to face several different penalties all which depend on how seriously a person was intoxicated and how much damage they managed to do while driving around in that state.
The following are consequences individuals will generally have to face if they are caught DWI in Texas:
- For a first DWI offense up to $2000 in fines and 72-180 days in jail
- For a DWI offense with a BAC at or above 0.15, up to $4000 in fines, and 72 hours to 1 year in jail
- For a first DWI alongside an open container enhancement up to $2000 in fines and 6-180 days in jail
- For a second DWI offense up to $4000 in fines and 30-365 days in jail
- For a 3rd DWI offense up to $10,000 in fines and 2-10 years in prison
Alongside the above penalties, a person will also have their driver’s license suspended. The extent to which the penalties are actually applied depends highly on a person’s situation such as whether minors were present in the vehicle while a person was DWI and how complaint the driver was with officers when they were being questioned.
It is important to note that the class of the crime increases in severity as it is repeated over again. For example, a first time DWI offense is considered a misdemeanor crime, but a 3rd-time offense is considered a felony.
How can a DWI lawyer help me?
A skilled DWI lawyer can help a person have their penalty reduced or even have the case dropped if they can prove that the officer obtained their evidence through an illegal manner or because of an overall lack of evidence on the side of the officers.
If a person wants to bring their best foot forward in their court trial they should consider hiring a DWI lawyer in Dallas, Texas to help them fight their case. If a person is being charged for a felony a lawyer may be able to present enough evidence and legal references to have the status of the crime reduced to a misdemeanor so that a person does not have to face such serious consequences for their actions.
