Your entire life revolves around your ability to drive. Driving to work, getting groceries, taking your kids to school — a DWI can take away your ability to do these things for months or even years. While you have the option to schedule a hearing about your Administrative License Revocation (ALR), you must do so quickly, put forward your best self, and avoid jeopardizing your case during your hearing. This can be almost impossible when you are worrying about the upheaval in your life. An ALR suspended license lawyer in Fort Worth can schedule and handle your hearing for you, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your life. Call the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg to get started: 214-696-9253.
What is an ALR?
When officers pull you over on the suspicion of drunk driving, the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) has the right to confiscate and suspend your driver’s license if you fail or refuse a breathalyzer test. This is known as Administrative License Revocation or ALR.
At the time of arrest, the officer will issue you a yellow TxDPS form, DIC-25, Notice of Suspension Temporary Driving Permit. This document serves as a 14-day temporary driving permit and provides critical information about the ALR process, including instructions for scheduling the ALR hearing.
The ALR suspended license hearing is an important component of the Texas DWI process but is often overshadowed by the criminal aspects of a drunk driving case.
Where does ALR fit in the Texas DWI process?
In Texas, DWI charges involve two separate processes: the criminal and the administrative.
The criminal aspects of your case typically take place within the Tarrant County criminal court system. This includes the arraignment, preliminary hearing and, if necessary, the trial and any appeals. The criminal process includes the determination of guilt and, if you are convicted, the assessment of appropriate fines, incarceration, etc.
The administrative process occurs independently of the criminal side, through TxDPS. The ALR hearing takes place at the Texas Office of Administrative Hearings and exclusively addresses your driver’s license.
How do you request your ALR hearing?
You can request an ALR suspended license hearing by submitting an electronic form on the TxDPS website. Once you submit the form, however, you will not receive any confirmation from TxDPS until it either schedules your hearing or rejects your application. In both cases, it provides notification by mail to the address on file for you.
TxDPS requests that you allow 120 days for a response.
If TxDPS approves your request for a hearing, the letter will advise you of the hearing date, time, and location. If TxDPS rejects your request, it will be too late to fight the suspension of your driver’s license.
If TxDPS does not receive a valid request for the ALR hearing within the 15-day period, or if you make any mistakes in your request, you will lose the opportunity to argue your license suspension. If your ALR hearing request does not reach TxDPS for some reason, you will have no way of knowing until it is too late.
Our team can schedule the hearing for you to ensure you do not overstep the time limit. We will also follow up to ensure receipt.
How does the ALR hearing affect your DWI case?
The ALR suspended license hearing is critical for fighting your driver’s license revocation, but it serves another purpose in your drunk driving case.
During the hearing, an administrative law judge hears evidence from you and from the arresting officer regarding the circumstances of your arrest. This hearing provides you with a critical opportunity to explore the prosecution’s evidence in your case, and can help with building a strong defense for your criminal case.
If the arresting officer made any errors during your DWI traffic stop, or if the officer does not recall certain aspects of the process, this information can be invaluable if used correctly.
Why do you need an ALR suspended license lawyer in Fort Worth to assist you?
After a DWI arrest, an ALR suspended license attorney at the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg can provide a number of invaluable services, including assistance with the entire ALR suspended license hearing process.
- Scheduling your ALR hearing. Your attorney will handle completing and submitting your hearing request form, and obtain confirmation that TxDPS received it. He will follow up to ensure TxDPS scheduled the hearing and advise you of the important details.
- Protecting your rights at the ALR hearing. The ALR hearing uses the same rules of evidence and legal procedure as a criminal proceeding. This means that officers can — and will — use any testimony against you on the criminal side. We will prepare you for the hearing and help ensure that you do not incriminate yourself.
- Helping you avoid license revocation. Randall will represent you and help you put your best foot forward. He will investigate your arrest and work to disprove TxDPS’s case. He will also question the arresting officer under oath, to gain insight into any errors the officer may have made during your DWI arrest.
Schedule your free consultation with Randall B. Isenberg today.
By contacting an attorney immediately after a DWI arrest, you have the best chance of protecting your legal rights through every phase of the process. Your attorney can help ensure that you understand your options and help you choose the path that is most beneficial.
At the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg offers complimentary consultations and case reviews for Texas drunk driving charges. Contact us today to speak to a Fort Worth ALR suspended license lawyer: 214-696-9253.
