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San Antonio DWI Lawyers

• Ponce, Joe: Texas leads the nation in the number of arrests for DWI/DUI or drunk driving. Without mass transit in Texas, everyone is dependent on a car or truck to get to work and to go about daily life. The potential consequences of DWI/DUI charges can seriously impact your life. How will you get to work if you lose your license Ñ or go to jail?
• Ross, Rodriguez: If you need qualified and expert legal representation, then why not call on a law firm that has countless years of experience coveringÊmany differentÊareas of the law?
• Haby & Hernandez: If you have been charged with a crime, whether on the State or Federal level, you need aggressive, competent representation. People accused of crimes face the very real possibility of going to jail. Many have never been charged with a crime before and are unsure of what to do. Criminal charges that are not properly defended can result in tougher sentencing and the removal of certain rights such as the right to vote and the right to bear arms. In order to best protect your valuable rights, it is advisable to seek the counsel of a criminal defense lawyer.
• Edward A. Jendrzey: Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) In Texas, merely being arrested for Driving While Intoxicated can result in a suspension of your driverÕs license regardless of whether or not you are ever prosecuted for the offense. The arresting officer may have the paperwork prepared for your license suspension before you even bond out of jail. You have a very short period of time to request a hearing and contest the facts necessary for suspension of your license. A failure to timely request a hearing will result in an automatic suspension of your driverÕs license. Administrative License Revocation (ALR) This process, commonly referred to as an A.L.R. hearing, is a separate procedure from the criminal case against you. You can retain an attorney to represent you at this hearing, or you can represent yourself. If your license is suspended, you will either need to stop driving until your license is reinstated, or petition a court for an essential needs license to allow driving for limited purposes. Should you be charged and convicted of an intoxication related offense, you may be placed on community supervision (probation) or you may be sentenced to confinement in a county jail or prison depending on the offense. If placed on community supervision, the terms of that supervision will be strictly enforced and may include, among many other things, in-patient or out-patient substance abuse counseling, a short period of ÒshockÓ jail or electric monitoring, an ignition interlock device on any vehicle you drive, and an additional license suspension. Some collateral consequences of the conviction include paying a surcharge that will add up to thousands of dollars over a period of time, and increased automobile insurance rates. Examples of Intoxication Related Offenses ¥ Driving While Intoxicated ¥ Driving Under the Influence ¥ Driving While Intoxicated - Child Passenger ¥ Intoxication Assault ¥ Intoxication Manslaughter
• Kathy Orr: It is important to act quickly if you are facing DWI charges. Besides the more commonly focused on criminal side of DWI there is also a very severe civil side to the penalties. For first time DWI offenses your license is automatically revoked for 90 days. If you have refused the breathalyzer test, you have an automatic 180 license suspension unless you file for an Administrative License Revocation ( ALR) hearing within 15 days of arrest. You can see how time is of the essence when dealing with DWI charges. You need an experienced, dedicated lawyer to represent you during this extremely stressful time.
• Juan Hernandez: If you have been charged with Driving While Intoxicated, then you are facing a driverÕs license suspension and/or loss of all driving privileges, ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle, higher insurance rates, criminal fines, court costs, possible jail time, expensive State surcharges, and a record that could negatively affect your future employment prospects for the rest of your life!
• Alvarado & Alvarado:

  If you have been arrested for DWI, you are facing some serious consequences such as loosing your driver’s license, increased insurance rates, or even cancelled insurance, and possibly jail time. If you are convicted, then that record can follow you for the rest of your life and even effect future employment.

  What to Say:

  People will often give police officers excuses for erratic driving. Whatever you say or do will likely be used by the prosecution to gain a conviction. We advise you to say as little as possible to police and prosecutors until you have an attorney present. It is your constitutional right to say nothing and refuse any tests which are requested of you.  If you are arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), contact our law office as soon as possible. We have a better sense of what you should and should not say to law enforcement officers to avoid being misinterpreted or misunderstood.

  Aggressive Defense:

  Prosecuting attorneys will aggressively try to convict you if you were charged by police with DWI or DUI. The Prosecution may have to prove more than just your blood alcohol level to get a conviction. There are many things skilful defense attorneys can challenge, including:

  • Improper actions by the arresting officer,
  • defective or poorly maintained equipment used to test your alcohol level,
  • the officer operating the equipment was not certified to do so,
  • the temperature, or atmospheric pressure at the time of the arrest,
  • failure to properly explain your rights,
  • and much, much more

  Any one of the many challenges to your DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) charge can weaken the prosecutor’s case against you. We will defend you against DWI or DUI charges to give you the best possible results. 

  
  Driving While Intoxicated – Blood Alcohol Level Limit in Texas!

  
  The legal limit for intoxication in Texas is .08 blood alcohol concentration ( BAC). However, Texas has a zero tolerance law. Drivers can be stopped and cited for impaired driving from alcohol or other drugs no matter what their BAC may be. For anyone under the age of 21 it is unlawful to drive having consumed any detectable amount of alcohol.
  
  If you are stopped for DWI you will most likely be asked by a law enforcement officer to take a blood or breath test to measure the amount of alcohol in your system. It is important to note that you have the right to refuse to take the test, but if you refuse, your driver’s license may be suspended for 180-days. Punishment for DWI varies depending on the number of times you are convicted and other circumstances involved in the incident.

  DUI in Texas:

  The Driving Under the Influence (DUI) charge in Texas concerns minors. A person under 21 is not allowed to consume ANY alcoholic beverage and operate a vehicle. A minor will be cited for a DUI if a law enforcement officer testifies that he/she smelled an alcoholic beverage on a minors breath during a traffic stop. Again, this is true even if the minor is both below the .08 legal limit and still has normal use of his/her mental facilities, but has consumed "some or any" alcohol.

  Take this charge seriously. If a DUI case mishandled it can have devastating effects on the minor’s criminal record and result in lengthy drivers license suspensions. It is important to obtain skillful counsel to protect yourself long term.

  CONCLUSION:

  If you have been charged with Texas DWI or DUI, then prosecutors will stop at nothing trying to convict you. But the prosecutors have to prove their case. There are many defenses that can be used to protect your rights, your wallet, and your freedom. You need a qualified DWI / DUI defense lawyer on you side.

• Ralph Williamson: DWI, DUI, Drunk Driving: A DWI charge can have catastrophic consequences. The arrested person could lose the right to drive, face higher insurance costs, pay huge fines, be required to attend classes or treatment, and even serve time in jail.
• Mark Pantano: DWI is not just a simple traffic violation. It is a crime and is punished harshly in Texas. For a first offense DWI, you could be sentenced up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. If you have prior convictions for DWI (even if you received probation) the punishments get more severe. Depending upon your prior DWI convictions, you could be facing a 3rd Degree Felony which carries up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
• Allan Manka: Have you recently been pulled over and charged with a DWI? You will need an experienced San Antonio DWI lawyer to represent you. No matter what crime you are being accused of, charged with, or investigated for, experienced representation matters. An experienced criminal defense attorney will know how to steer you through the criminal justice system successfully.