Even your first drunk driving conviction will cost you dearly. You will face hefty fines and could lose your driver’s license for up to a year. You might even go to jail.
Pleading guilty may help you avoid spending time behind bars, but it will not prevent you from having a permanent criminal record, which can negatively affect your career as well as your personal life.
A first offense DWI lawyer in University Park at the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg can help you understand the seriousness of these charges and explain your options. We offer a free consultation. Call 214-696-9253 today to learn more.
Penalties You Could Face for a First Offense DWI in University Park
The prosecutor may attempt to convince you that pleading guilty to a first offense drunk driving charge makes good sense. Before you make a decision, consider the penalties you could face as a result.
A first offense DWI conviction carries the following penalties:
- Jail time up to 6 months
- Fines of up to $2,000
- License suspension of up to 1 year
You must also pay court fees and costs and attend a mandatory alcohol education course, also at your cost. The judge can also give you probation and community service and require you to install a breathalyzer-type locking device on your car’s ignition system.
Once your license suspension period ends, you must pay a surcharge of up to $2,000 per year to keep your license active — for a total of three years.
After your conviction, you will also have a permanent criminal record that you may not be able to have sealed or expunged. This information will be available to anyone who runs a background check on you, including potential employers and landlords.
How a First Offense DWI Lawyer Can Help You
If you have not previously faced a criminal charge as serious as DWI, you may be frightened and confused — especially if the prosecutor pushes you to plead guilty to the charges to avoid going to jail.
Talking to a DWI lawyer can put things into perspective for you and allow you to understand how having a conviction on your record can affect your future.
When you trust the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg to represent you, you can rest assured that we will explain how a criminal drunk driving record can affect your life. We will explain your options and help you make the best decisions for your future. The ways that we will assist you include the following:
- Protecting your legal rights
- Investigating your case to identify mistakes or flaws
- Building the most robust possible case for you
- Negotiating for a dismissal or reduction of your charges
- Disputing blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test results
The legal strategies we use to defend you will depend on the facts of your case. However, these are some of the most common approaches that we use for our first offense drunk driving clients in University Park:
Lack of Reasonable Suspicion
The police must have reasonable suspicion that you broke the law before they can legally stop your car. If the officers did not establish reasonable suspicion, it may be enough to convince the prosecutor to reduce or drop the charges against you.
Lack of Probable Cause
Before the police can place you under arrest for DWI, they must establish probable cause of your legal intoxication. They may use field sobriety testing or a portable breathalyzer to establish probable cause. If they made any mistakes in administering these tests, or if they violated your rights in any way, this may help get your charges reduced or dismissed.
Invalid BAC Testing Results
If problems occurred during breathalyzer or blood testing for BAC, your test results may be incorrect. We will carefully examine the testing procedures used to determine whether the testing technician or lab made errors that could return a false positive result.
Whatever legal strategies we use, we will build the strongest possible case for you and work tirelessly to obtain a favorable outcome. Call today to learn more: 214-696-9253.
You Will Face a Driver’s License Suspension Hearing for a First Offense DWI
Getting arrested for DWI in University Park triggers the Administrative License Revocation (ALR) process. This civil process takes place separately from your criminal case, but it also poses potentially serious consequences for you.
Overseen by the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS), the ALR process begins at the time of your arrest. The police will confiscate your driver’s license and issue you a form that serves as a temporary driving permit. This form also advises you on how to request a hearing to contest your suspension.
If you do not follow the directions carefully and request a hearing within 15 days of your arrest, you give up the right to contest the suspension and TxDPS will suspend your license.
For the ALR hearing, our team will provide the following benefits for you:
- Schedule your hearing quickly
- Obtain evidence and investigate your case
- Subpoena witnesses to give testimony during your hearing
- Question witnesses under oath to obtain information
- Argue against license suspension
- Appeal a suspension (if applicable) or petition for a provisional license
As a part of this process, we will obtain evidence that could potentially help us build your criminal defense case. This also provides us with an early look at the prosecutor’s evidence in your case, helping us develop the most persuasive possible defense on your behalf.
See How a First Offense DWI Lawyer in University Park Can Help You Today
To help you make the best possible decisions in your drunk driving case, the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg offers a free consultation and case review. This allows us to answer your questions and help you choose the best options for you.
Contact us today at 214-696-9253 to learn more or to schedule your free case evaluation.