Greenville, TX DWI Law Firms & Lawyers

First off, I am so sorry this happened.  It is always difficult for a parent to see their child go through the system, especially when he shows so much promise in completing his education.  Above all, your son's goal should be keeping it off of his permanent record.  The first step is to see if the arrest is a case the government can win.  A good criminal defense lawyer may be able to get the charges dismissed entirely.  If that isn't an option, there is a program called "DWI Pretrial Intervention" by which your son would be supervised for a year and, if he completes everything he is required to complete, the charges will be dismissed at the end.  Not everyone qualifies for this, so it is important to have a lawyer who understands the ins and outs of the program.   All of these options will require an excellent criminal defense/DWI lawyer familiar with the practice where your son is being charged.  Many of us will offer you a free consultation for your sons case, and will give you advice on how to proceed.  Meet with a few lawyers and hire the one you believe is best suited to keep your son's record clean. Good luck, hope I helped! Regards, Cordt Akers Criminal Defense Lawyer

Yes, you can still be charged. If the arrest was only 5 days ago, the most pressing issue is the ALR. If the officer confiscated your DL, he will have sent that paperwork to Austin. So, the clock is ticking. You have only 15 days from the date of arrest to contest the 6 month suspension of your license. I specialize in DWI cases, and can tell you that I handle the ALR on every single DWI case I'm hired on, provided I am hired within that 15 day window. It gives us an opportunity to fight to prevent the suspension. Also, it's our only real opportunity to get live testimony from an officer prior to trial.  As for the arrest, here's what will happen. The hospital should have drawn the blood. It will then be sent to a lab to be tested for the BAC level. Once the report is issued it will be sent to the agency that requested the testing (the arresting agency and/or the DA's office). If the BAC is at or above a .08 either a warrant or a summons will issue for your appearance on the case.  Right now there's a pretty significant backlog for blood testing at the labs. So, it could take up to a couple of months before you hear anything back on the blood. But, don't wait. Again, you can still fight the ALR; and it's an important piece of the discovery process in a DWI defense.

From my experience, many people believe that they passed their sobriety test when in reality they do not know what the officer is looking for when they have a person performing the test. It depends on many factors and you will have to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney to evaluate your case. Additionally, there is an obvious difference of opinion between you and the officer on whether you passed the test or else you would not have been charged. Consult a criminal defense attorney, most offer free consultations.