When you face a DWI charge in Austin, Texas, the penalties after a conviction can be severe. After you’ve served time in jail, having a criminal history could make finding suitable employment or a place to live challenging. Because of the potential lifelong consequences, you should not just admit to the charges to quickly end the case. However, you can consider retaining an Austin DWI lawyer to defend you to avoid the most serious consequences.
Although it may seem like you have few options trying to stand up to law enforcement and prosecutors, having an attorney on your side can lead to new avenues in your defense strategy. At the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg, we are ready to help you immediately.
How Our Austin DWI Attorneys Will Work for You
Although some people believe a DWI charge is a straightforward situation where the accused has almost no chance of receiving a favorable outcome, this is not the case. DWI cases have many nuances, and our DWI attorney in Austin, TX, can use these nuances to create a defense strategy.
Attorney Randall Isenberg, our firm’s founder, is a former senior chief felony prosecutor and state district trial judge with 30 years of experience. He and his team know the law and will fight for you as they have for other clients in similar situations.
We Will Closely Investigate the Facts in the Case
Through our investigation of the steps that led to your arrest, we will examine how the police handled the evidence. We will ensure officers followed the procedures required under state law to collect evidence in a DWI case.
We also will study the circumstances surrounding why officers pulled you over in the first place. After collecting all the facts in the case, we can then begin to put together the defense strategy that makes the most sense for your particular case and needs.
We Can Seek an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Hearing
After a DWI arrest, Texas nearly always suspends the arrested driver’s license. However, the Texas Department of Public Safety gives those facing this charge the ability to seek an ALR hearing to reinstate the license.
It can be helpful to legally drive while you await the resolution of your DWI charge. Our Austin attorney for DWI cases can represent you during this ALR hearing, working to see your license reinstated. However, we must seek this hearing within 15 days of the suspension. So, we must work fast.
We Will Represent You From Start to Finish
Once we are representing you, we will meet with prosecutors and law enforcement to determine what kind of situation you face. If it makes sense in your case, we may begin negotiating with the prosecutor to seek a dismissal of or a reduction in your charges.
We may determine that the best way forward is to take the case to trial. We will represent you in court, presenting the facts in the case to seek a favorable outcome from the jury or judge. With Randall B. Isenberg’s 30-plus years of experience working in the judicial system, we know how to argue for our clients in court.
We Will Keep You Informed
At the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg, we take great pride in our responsiveness to our clients. When we work for you, we will answer questions whenever you have them.
We understand that facing a DWI charge can be scary, especially if it’s your first time dealing with the criminal justice system after an arrest. We never want you to feel lost or confused about the situation you face. We will always have your best interest in mind.
DWI Penalties in Austin, Texas
The penalties that accompany a DWI charge depends on several factors, including if you are a first-time DWI offender or if you already have a DWI record:
- First DWI offense: First-time offenders could face up to $2,000 in fines, from three days to 180 days (six months) in jail, and a driver license suspension for up to one year.
- Second DWI offense: Offenders in this category could pay up to $4,000 in fines, between one month and one year in jail, and a two-year driver license suspension.
- Third DWI offense: Offenders in this category could face up to $10,000 in fines, between two and 10 years in prison, and a two-year license suspension for this felony conviction.
Texas authorities could seek harsher penalties against offenders if:
- If they have an open container of alcohol in their vehicles when arrested
- Their blood alcohol concentration was 0.15% or above when arrested
Offenders aged 18 and older can face DWI charges in Austin. In Texas, the legal limit for blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% for drivers aged 21 and up and 0.00% for drivers under age 21.
You Could Face Felony DWI Charges in an Austin Case
In certain DWI cases, you face a felony charge. A felony charge is possible if the DWI arrest includes certain circumstances, including:
- A death in a car accident
- Serious injuries in a car accident
- Having a child under 15 years of age in the car during the DWI
As the Texas Politics Project explains, felony convictions can lead to a year or more of prison time, as well as fines up to $10,000, as noted above. Felony convictions could leave you unable to vote or own a firearm after serving your prison time. If you face this type of situation, you should take every possible step to defend yourself.
The Problems an Austin DWI Conviction Can Cause for You
With a DWI conviction on your record, you could lose many of your rights. Even after you serve jail time and other penalties for the DWI conviction, the consequences from this action can continue, including:
- Those who hold a commercial driver’s license may lose it permanently, leaving them unable to continue working as a professional driver.
- Banking partners may refuse to trust you with loans, making it difficult to complete deals.
- You may be unable to hold certain types of jobs or to join certain professional organizations after a conviction on a drunk driving charge.
If you end up with a felony DWI conviction, you could lose your ability to vote or own a firearm.
A Conviction Will Remain on Your Record Going Forward
After a DWI conviction, this information will remain on your record in Texas forever unless you take steps to have the charge sealed or expunged. If someone runs a criminal background check on you, they will see this conviction. The process of removing a DWI conviction is extremely difficult, although our team can help with it.
The better solution is to try to avoid the conviction in the first place. Do not simply plead guilty to this charge because law enforcement and prosecutors make your case seem hopeless. Do not plead guilty to attempt to quickly put the case behind you. Our team can help you fight the charge and potentially receive a better outcome.
Our Austin Lawyer Will Defend Your Legal Rights – Call Us Today
A criminal conviction on your record can have lasting effects that could make life difficult in Texas and elsewhere. You should defend yourself against a DWI charge just as fiercely as you would against any other criminal charge. You can trust the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg to deliver the professional level of representation you deserve.
Rely on our Austin criminal defense lawyer to create a strong defense strategy for you in your DWI case. We will offer legal counsel that protects your rights and interests as we seek the most favorable outcome.
