First-Time DWI Representation
First DWI Offense
Have you been arrested for driving while intoxicated? Even for first offenders, the courts in our area take drinking and driving seriously, and you may receive a stiff penalty that can have a severe impact on your life. You need dedicated legal representation to help you resolve this situation in your favor, either to have the charges dropped or reduced, or to secure a full acquittal. A skilled DWI lawyer with experience as the Chief Prosecutor of the Harris County District Attorneys’ Office can fight to help you avoid a conviction. At The Martinez Law Firm, we work tirelessly to achieve the best possible results for our clients.
Penalties for a First-Time DWI
A first-time DWI is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by between three days and three months in jail. You may additionally be fined as much as $2,000, and you can lose your driver’s license for up to a year. You will also be required to pay an annual driver’s license surcharge of $1,000 for the next three years, as well as providing proof of SR-22 high risk insurance coverage, which costs significantly more than normal auto insurance. The crime is increased to a class A misdemeanor when the driver’s blood alcohol content is above .15%, and in this scenario you could spend up to a year in jail and be fined $4,000.
Defense Strategies for Driving While Intoxicated
To prove that you are guilty of drinking and driving, the prosecutor will have to prove that you either had a BAC above .08% or that you had lost the normal use of your physical and/or mental faculties. The field sobriety tests and breath and blood tests used by police to prove that a driver has committed DWI are notoriously faulty, and there is also a possibility that the evidence could be thrown out on the grounds that your Constitutional rights were violated in an unlawful traffic stop. Nobody intends to commit DWI, and you deserve to have someone on your side to defend your rights.
Find out what a Houston attorney at our firm can do to help you. Call (713) 929-2634 or Contact us today!