Knickerbocker, TX DWI Law Firms & Lawyers

Not sure I know what you are referring to. The prosecutor decides whether to bring a charge, not the judge. If you were charged with a felony, a preliminary examination (aka probable cause hearing) must be held. If the judge determines there is not probable cause, s/he will dismiss the charge.

You should go to court and ask for an extension. It's better than getting picked up on the warrant that is out for you and asking for an extension while you are in custody.

A jury can convict you if the State can prove you were intoxicated by "reason of the introduction of alcohol or drugs or any combination thereof." So, the short answer is yes, they can get you for the synthetic. There are issues with synthetic in terms of associating it with the illegal drugs enumerated in the H&S Code, though. Beyond the classification issue, there might be an issue with respect to the toxicological effects smoking synthetic would have on you 4 hours after smoking, if they even have evidence to prove that. The DRE exam may be a red herring; or it may be reduced to that. The DRE protocol is supposed to allow the cops to determine which "drug class" your alleged intoxication may stem from. I don't believe synthetic is among the drugs that are included in the DRE protocol. Synthetic isn't MJ; so I wouldn't allow them to testify that the signs and symptoms observed with respect to an MJ investigation are the same as those that should be observed when a person has smoked an entirely different-non-natural, substance. So, there are a lot of issues that can be explored in your defense. If it's your 3rd, you probably already know you're looking at 2-10 years in prison. And, it sounds like this one could be beatable. Hire a good lawyer well-versed in DWI.