Houston DWI Defense
A good Houston DWI attorney can assist the defendant in developing the case toward a number of different defense strategies that may help to reduce the sentence or punishment.
The legal limit of intoxication in Texas is .08, as I said before, with a zero-tolerance policy for anyone caught drinking and driving under twenty-one years of age. That means that if a minor is pulled over and the officer detects alcohol, the minor can go to jail no matter the level of intoxication.
There are numerous defenses for a DWI offense, not the least of which is the methods that law enforcement officers use to detect the presence and level of alcohol in the blood stream of the defendant. The chemical testing procedure adopted by law enforcement agencies is a defense used by nearly half of the defendants prosecuted for DWI offenses in Houston.
As soon as you are able, locate and contact an experienced DWI defense attorney who is well-schooled in the state laws of Texas and who has handled similar cases before. Disclose all information regarding the arrest to your attorney, including whatever happened between your car and the jail. From there, your attorney will be able to put together a defense that can protect your legal rights.
The most important thing is that you never admit guilt, because if you apologize to the officer for drinking while intoxicated or if you admit that you have been drinking, that officer will testify to your admission in court.
An experienced Houston DWI attorney can create a strong defense argument in your favor by systematically pointing out any of the mistakes that were made by the law enforcement officers present during a DWI conviction or arrest. Your defense attorney will also be experienced enough to know how much or how little to press a point. Often, defendants who represent themselves go too far in front of a judge or jury, thereby ensuring their conviction.
For instance, law enforcement officers have been guilty of tearing a male defendant differently from a female defendant. Likewise, the proper standard operating procedure is more familiar to your DWI attorney than it is to you, the defendant.
A DWI attorney can prepare a solid defense based on these types of issues that might come up. How your DWI attorney proceeds will depend on whether or not you have been convicted of a DWI in the past, the precise level of your blood-alcohol, and any other offenses you may have committed in the last decade.
The most important thing is to hire an experienced and knowledgeable Houston DWI attorney who can provide you with the best defense possible.