Texas DWI Resources & Help

Best Houston Attorneys For DWI, Drunk Driving, & DUI Cases

Texas DWI Defense - Man in Jail

When you set out to hire a Houston DWI attorney you’re better off if they’re a former prosecutor, has handled thousands of DWI cases, and knows how to overcome allegations of drunk driving in the court of law.

Your defense is important.

If charged with a DWI related criminal offense then you may, in all likelihood, lose your right to legally operate a motor vehicle in the state of Texas due to a process called Administrative License Revocation.

Loss of Texas Drivers License

Administrative license revocation is a process by which the state of Texas automatically suspends your driver’s license for up to 180 days based on criminal charges alone, regardless of whether there has been a guilty finding in the court of law, or not.

Most respectable Houston DWI Lawyers offer a free consultation to persons seeking legal advice and/or legal representation in response to being charged with DWI.

DWI Charges Are Serious in Texas

Texas DWI Defense - Man in JailA DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) related criminal charge is taken seriously by the state of Texas.

Any experienced Houston DWI defense focused attorney knows how serious it is to properly prepare to defend a person accused of such a crime. Deliberate preparation is important for the outcome of the case, the freedom of defendant. Most competent law firms understand this.

If you’re convicted of a DWI offense you may lose your job, experience problems with your family, be forced to serve jail time, and face the residual detrimental effects of the offense due to a criminal record showing on your background.

A Skilled Houston DWI Lawyer

Fortunately, Houston DWI Lawyer Tad A. Nelson is a well-known and highly respected lawyer when it comes to defending people accused of DWI in Houston. He’s a former prosecutor and is well aware of the steps prosecutors take when preparing their cases against defendants, and will use his experience to your benefit if you are his client.

When you’re arrested for DWI you’re only experiencing the first step in the process. While you may not be forced to serve jail time, you will be initially jailed until you make bond or are released on bond.

Once you post bond, you have a better opportunity to gain a better perspective on the gravity of the situation. You may be facing jail time, financial penalties, loss of driving privileges, and other restrictions.

Avoiding Jail Time & Loss of Drivers License

There are a number of ways to prevent the loss of your Texas Drivers License and confinement. By quickly contacting Houston DWI lawyer Tad A. Nelson you’ll give us a better opportunity to give you a better understanding of any potential fines or jail time you may be facing based on the details of your case. You’ll also get an opportunity to learn about options we may employ in an effort to defend you from what will be an aggressive prosecution by Harris County.

One Dallas Criminal Lawyer believes that a criminal conviction can change your life in an instant.

DWI Defense Practice Areas

Accused of a DWI offense in southeast Texas? Contact attorney Tad Nelson immediately so we can prevent the administrative suspension of your Texas Drivers’ License by calling our law firm at 713-802-1631.

Houston Attorney For DWI & DUI Cases

DWI With a Minor: What You Need to Know

DWI With a Child in Houston, TX

If you’re Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), and have a minor below the age of 15 in the vehicle, you could be fined as much as $10,000 and be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if you’re found guilty in the court of law for such an offense.

A friend of mine, lets call him “Samuel”, had to undergo a similar experience when he tried to pick up his child from school, all while being drunk. He is currently sentenced to around a year in prison. Also, he was asked to go up for a 12-hour course on alcohol and drunk driving, which he had to complete within 180 days of probation.

Additionally, even if you do get away with the minimum jail term, which is around 18 days, a felony DWI charge can affect your livelihood.

In just August last year, a drunk student caused an accident that killed a man and injured his pregnant wife.

The student was charged with third-degree felony. Regardless of whether or not he graduates, potential employers may decide against hiring this young man.

A DWI Conviction Will Affect Driving Records

And Appear as a Criminal Record

Driving Records include records of all information related to driving, for example, information about the driving license, its expiry date, any tickets against you, violations charged to your vehicle etc. It may be necessary to access driving records in two situations – one, when you want to access your own driving record, and two, when you want to access someone else’s driving record.

You might want to access your own driving record to confirm the expiry of your license, list of your tickets and violations. It is wise to keep a check as a simple thing as a suspended license could lead you to jail, but if you are reminded of it, you can address the suspension.

You might similarly want to check the driving records of another person if you are hiring them. For example, while hiring drivers for taxis, it is important to review that their licenses are current and that they don’t have any pending tickets.

If you’ve been charged with a DWI felony, chances are any future employer would know about it when carrying out a background check, and it is important that

What’s Implied Consent?

Implied Consent basically means that your consent to take part in blood and breathe testing is implied by virtue of you being a Texas Driver License holder. In other words, by lawfully driving in Texas you’ve consented to chemical testing like roadside Blood, Breath, and Blood Testing. Under this legal standard, refusing to participate in the sobriety testing process will result in the suspension of your TDL, and criminal charges for DWI which will land you in jail.

Penalties for refusing consent will lead to an ALR hearing and are separate from any penalties related to the originating offense.

What is an SR-22?

An SR-22 is a form of auto insurance that’s usually requested by a judge or required by law after an incident of some kind. The purpose of SR-22 insurance is to guarantee that a motorist is insured as it certifies financial responsibility.

Basically, an SR-22 is liability insurance which, if cancelled, will prompt the insurance company to notify the State of Texas. To obtain SR-22 Insurance you’ll need to contact your insurance carrier.

What Does the SR in SR-22 Mean?

This is a great unknown. While the “SR” in SR-22 doesn’t signify any particular nomenclature (it’s just a document name), it’s fair to take the “SR” to mean “state required” because it is required by the State of Texas in every circumstance that it’s needed. In some of the other states the document is referred to as an FR-22 with the “FR” serving as an acronym for “Financial Responsibility”. We have not investigated the significance of the 22.

What Is The Cost of Fighting DWI Charges in Houston?

Costs vary from case to case, but are determined largely by the outcome of the case in the court of law. The good news is that you don’t have to concern yourself with the cost of court fees, court costs, or fines until after the case is finalized.

If convicted of DWI by a guilty finding of the court, or by entering a guilty plea, you’ll then be informed of what must be paid, why, and the cost. The court will require you to pay all fees associated with probation, any required DWI classes, and the cost of any chemical testing associated with your case.

Due to the TxDPS Driver Responsibility Program, you’ll also be forced by the State of Texas to pay surcharge fees if you ever intend to lawfully drive in Texas again. Whether the DWI occurred in or outside of Texas, you’ll have to pay either a $1,000.00 (1st DWI offense) or $1,500.00 (Subsequent DWI) surcharge every year for 3 years. If your Blood Alcohol Concentration was 0.16 or over, your surcharge will cost $2,500.00 per year for 3 years.

When taken together, surpassing $10,000.00 in costs is easily possible. If your drunk driving incident caused a car accident, you’ll be responsible for those costs as well.

Then there’s the matter of having to file for an SR-22. An SR-22 insurance policy could easily add a few thousand dollars to your yearly insurance costs, and that’s in addition to the regular premium increase which will occur if you’re convicted of the offense.

When considering the costs of legal defense fees, costs associated with posting bond, lost income when missing work for court, and vehicle storage lot & release fees, a Houston DWI can end up costing you thousands.

Fighting a Houston DWI charge is well worth the effort.