After a drunk driving arrest in University Park, you will lose your driver’s license unless you attend an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing to fight your suspension.
An ALR suspended license lawyer in University Park can argue on your behalf to help you keep your license or obtain a limited privilege license that will let you get to work or school and handle important personal business.
Contact the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg at 214-696-9253 to learn more.
How the ALR Suspended License Hearing Affects You
Once the police arrest you for drunk driving, the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) initiates an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) proceeding. A civil process that takes place concurrently with your criminal case, a judge will conduct the ALR hearing to determine whether a license suspension is justified.
If the judge upholds your suspension, you face:
- A 6-month to 2-year driver’s license suspension
- A reinstatement surcharge of $1,000 to $2,000
- Annual license surcharge of $1,000 to $2,000 for 3 years
The length of your license suspension will depend on whether you have prior DWI offenses on your record. If any aggravating circumstances apply to your offense, you will face a longer suspension. You can also expect to face a substantial increase in your auto insurance premiums as a result of your suspension.
Unless you request your hearing in the allotted time, TxDPS will suspend your license automatically, leaving you with no further ability to argue against this outcome.
Our ALR Suspended License Lawyer Fights for Your Rights
Unless you make a strong case, the ALR hearing will likely result in the suspension of your license. If you choose the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg to represent you in this process, our legal team will build the most persuasive case possible to present at your hearing.
In addition to protecting your legal rights, we will:
- Schedule your hearing
- Obtain and evaluate the state’s evidence
- Compel key witness testimony
- Prepare you to give your testimony
- Present the most robust possible case for keeping your license
- File an appeal, if necessary
- Request an occupational license, if necessary
How the ALR Hearing Affects Your University Park DWI Case
Technically, the ALR process proceeds independently of the criminal aspect of your case, and neither proceeding has any direct effect on the other. Indirectly, however, ALR can profoundly influence the outcome of your criminal case.
The judge in your ALR case — an administrative law judge — will decide the outcome of your license using the same evidence that the prosecution will use to make their case in criminal court. Because you have the legal right to review the evidence, our team can subpoena TxDPS and compel it to provide us with copies.
The evidence we obtain may include:
- Your arrest report
- A statement from the arresting officer
- Copies of chemical testing results for blood alcohol concentration (BAC)
We will review all the evidence to obtain valuable insights about your case and how the prosecution may use this evidence to obtain a conviction. This helps to inform our legal strategies for your defense.
We will also compel the arresting officer to appear at the ALR hearing and give sworn testimony. This allows us to question the officer under oath, potentially providing us with even more detailed information.
How the ALR Suspended License Process Works
At the time of your arrest, law enforcement will issue you a Notice of Suspension Temporary Driving Permit. Once TxDPS receives and processes this notice, the clock starts ticking on your license suspension. You have 15 days to schedule your hearing. If you fail to do so, TxDPS will suspend your license on the 40th day after your arrest.
To schedule your hearing, you must follow the instructions on the Notice of Suspension form and provide all the information requested thereon. You must submit your hearing request to TxDPS in writing, using one of the following methods:
- By mail to the TxDPS address provided
- By fax using the number provided
- By online form on the TxDPS website
You can request a hearing by phone. However, this provides you with no record of your request or confirmation that TxDPS received your information.
TxDPS will respond to your hearing request by mail, using the address on your license. This can easily get lost or not reach you in time, especially if your address of record is incorrect.
When our legal team handles this process on your behalf, we obtain confirmation from TxDPS and provide you with the details, ensuring you do not miss your opportunity to fight for your driving privileges.
Appealing an ALR Suspension & Requesting an Occupational License
Should the judge rule to suspend your license, our team can appeal that decision. We have three layers of appeals that we can pursue, should you elect to keep fighting.
Alternatively, we can apply for an occupational license on your behalf. This allows you to continue driving for the following purposes:
- Going to and from work and related activities
- Going to and from school and related activities
- Running important personal errands
- Getting to medical appointments
- Attending court proceedings
Throughout the suspended license hearing process, we will be there to answer your questions and help you evaluate your options. We will tend to all the essential details and keep you apprised of critical milestones along the way.
Free ALR Suspended License Consultation & Case Review
Before you decide to navigate this complex process on your own, consider speaking with an ALR suspended license lawyer. This will help you better understand the complexities of the process and how critical it is to your criminal case.
To ensure that you have the information you need to make an informed decision, the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg offers a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. Call our office today: 214-696-9253.
