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 A. Nelson immediately so we can prevent the administrative suspension of your Texas Drivers’ License by calling our law firm at 713-489-7373.

Houston Attorney For DWI & DUI Cases

Fighting Open Container Cases in Austin

Open Container Violation

According to Austin DWI Lawyer Jackson F. Gorski, open container violations in Austin will result in small to moderate fines. However, there are times in which it may lead to much steeper consequences. So it’s important that you know how to avoid this offense. Here are a few things that can make you vulnerable to an open container violation.

Drinking Alcohol in Public Places

You’re very likely to receive an open container violation if you fail to keep your bottles and cans sealed. This is an easy mistake to make if you’re taking the bottle from a friend’s home after a social gathering. Bottles that are not sealed or in a bag may be viewed negatively by the police.

Related: 15 Unusual Facts About Texas Alcohol Laws

Ignoring Established Boundaries

If you fail to pay attention to established boundaries, then you may receive a violation. In certain instances, there are specific areas in which people are permitted to drink. In fact, there are often signs posted that specify where you’re allowed to carry open containers of alcohol in public places. For example, while you may not be allowed to drink on public sidewalks, you may be permitted to drink on a specific area of the sidewalk if you’re a patron of a bar or sidewalk café.

Drinking and Driving in Austin


It’s important to keep in mind that drinking and driving makes you more vulnerable to receiving an open container violation in Travis County. This is because your container will be open while you drive. Even if the passenger has a bottle of beer, if it’s in a place where you could easily reach it, you could be charged.

Storing Empty Cans or Bottles

There are a lot of drivers who are in the habit of not regularly cleaning or organizing their vehicle. Unfortunately, this can make a huge impact on your life if you are ever pulled over. You can possibly be cited for all of your empty cans and bottles. Even if the alcohol was consumed by someone else, a very long time ago you may still be held responsible for it. In fact, even if the container has only a small amount of alcohol, it will be viewed as an open container. This is why it’s often recommended that drivers rinse out their empty bottles and cans if they are carrying them in their vehicles.

Engaging in Disruptive or Dangerous or Behavior

Another way in which you may make yourself vulnerable to an open container violation is by acting disorderly. This can draw attention to your open container. This is especially the case if you are in an area that has laws against public consumption. The officers’ main concern is to ensure the safety of the public.

Conclusion

Whether you’re intoxicated or not, drinking alcohol while driving is extremely dangerous. And this is why Austin takes its laws on DWI so seriously. An open container violation can sometimes lead to serious consequences. As you can see, there are various ways in which you can make yourself vulnerable to an open container violation. This is why it’s very important to pay attention to the local laws.

When Enjoying Life Leads to Jail

On numerous occasions people will end their work week, get home, get dressed, then go out and enjoy the weekend on Fridays & Saturdays. Oftentimes, enjoyment of the weekend involves partying, drinking alcohol, smoking, and generally relaxing among friends and acquaintances.

While this is fine and dandy, when considering the intoxicants involved with the weekend enjoyments of some people, it’s understandable how outcomes can vary drastically depending on the people and the circumstances. Weekends like these have led to many good people being stopped by police only to be suspected of drunk driving, and subsequently arrested, car towed, and thrown in the Harris County Jail.

This is a very common scenario in Houston, TX, and we can tell you first hand that thousands of people have dealt with such a fate. If you’re arrested for a DWI offense in Houston, you have options, but dealing with the situation is never easy nor convenient. As an adult, we all have a duty to conduct ourselves in a manner that doesn’t conflict with the law.

Taking Into Account One’s Actions

Whether you’re a doctor, lawyer, politician, street-thug, or preacher, if you’re thought to be driving while intoxicated in Houston you’ll be arrested and jailed. It’s important to realize that the offense may not seem like a big deal to you, but there’s a real risk to public safety when drunk drivers are on the road. Thousands of Texans die annually due to auto accidents and a large percentage of those are caused by drunk drivers.

About every 20 minutes in Texas, someone is hurt or killed in a vehicular crash involving alcohol.

While many DUIs involve college students, the recent case of a Zapata County priest charged with driving while intoxicated after a single-car accident, shows this problem impacts people of all ages and walks of life.

In Montgomery County alone, the sheriff’s office arrested 62 individuals as part of “Operation Blackout,” an anti-DUI effort conducted during the 2017 Memorial Holiday weekend. Some of them were charged with driving while intoxicated with a child, one was a boating incident and several were third offenses.

SOURCE: The Right Step

Busted by the Police for Drunk Driving?

If you’re ready this article, and you’re out on bond after being arrested for a drunk driving offense, you’ll need legal representation. If you were arrested in Houston, we recommend Houston DWI Lawyer Tad A. Nelson for your case, as he’s one of the most competent defense lawyers in Houston.

Drunk driving cases tend to be tricky for inexperienced lawyers due to the scientific nature of the offense. If your attorney can prove that you were not intoxicated or can call into question the judgement of the officers or the validity of the Blood Alcohol Test, you’ll likely be able to beat a Texas DWI charge.

Your Response to an Arrest

Refuse to blow, and don’t voluntarily provide the police with any evidence they can use against you. Force them get a warrant, but remember to be polite and orderly. Once you post bond, contact a qualified defense attorney as soon as possible.

A DWI after One Time of Drunk Driving

A Man with Goals

Bob was responsible with a bright future. Not only was he a top rate academic with dreams of teaching after law school, he was also well liked by his professors.

His ability to connect with them made them very willing to accept him as a regular face at the university. When it came to academic parties, one of his well connected TA’s wanted to help usher him into the circle. The staff saw him as someone who would eventually teach at the university with his natural gift for language.

Bob loved the big city, big dreams environment of Houston, Texas. He loved being known for being an aspiring up and comer as well.

Altruism

He didn’t necessarily come from the best background, but he even saw that as something he could transcend. His parents were upper middle class but he had felt very emotionally neglected when he was young. The rocky turmoil between his parents always seemed to take center stage to his needs.

Because of this, Bob was very active in his local church. He wanted to help teenagers who potentially felt the same way. That’s why he volunteered to help with some their activities on a regular basis. The fact that it looked good on his resume didn’t hurt either. The University of Houston was always looking at these kind of social gestures.

Popularity & Social Drinking

Bob had a diverse group of friends. Some of his friends had gravitated towards his charismatic personality. He was a likable guy who didn’t say no to a good time. That extended to his partying as well. When Bob was drunk, he felt at one with the crowd. He loved to be right there in the mix.

Since Bob was well off, he always had the means to get home properly. He was the type of guy that didn’t mind calling cabs, tipping well, and just lying in his bed in bliss. Some people from his church knew he had a drinking problem, but he made huge efforts to quit cold turkey. But because all his other friends wanted to have their friend back, Bob got easily pulled into situations involving copious amounts of alcohol still on occasion.

One Bad Decision Leads to a DWI Case

One particular night, he ended up at a small pub with a friend. He mainly wanted to eat pizza but it became a drinking and talking about problems time instead. He’d been on a diet as well as under tee total restrictions, so he just relished the opportunity to let loose.

He was still drunk and realized it was closing time. The pub was in the middle of no where, so there was no where to go but home. Thankfully, the pub was a couple blocks from his home. At the outside of the pub, his friend got into a brawl with the locals. Bob felt very uncomfortable at that point.

Bob’s friend convinced Bob in his drunken state that it was no big deal to drive the car home. Bob was so shaken that he gave into temptation the first time in his life. Unfortunately, one of the local patron’s friends had called the cops.

As Bob was pulling away, the police pulled up and stopped him. He was charged with intoxication assault and given a DWI. This was the first time Bob had ever been driving drunk, and now he had two charges on his record.

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