If you’re a habitual drunk driver, it’s about time you consider how this can affect your life. In Texas, drunk driving is regarded as a severe violation, and if you do this a couple of times and get caught every time, you can get convicted of a felony. A felony can negatively impact your life in so many ways, so it’s essential to understand DWI Texas felony charges take place.
Arrested for DWI after the Second Time
If it’s your first time to get arrested for a DWI charge in Texas, your case is labeled as Class B Misdemeanor. You can serve jail time of six months and pay the mandatory penalty up to $2,000. If it’s your second time to get arrested for the same case, your case escalates to Class B Misdemeanor, and you will have to stay in jail for up to 12 months and pay a fine of not exceeding $4,000. If you’re caught, yet again, driving while intoxicated for the third time, your case is classified as a third-degree felony.
Driving with an Underage Passenger
Another instance when you can get charged with DWI felony, whether this is your first or third time you were accused of a DWI case. Driving while intoxicated with a passenger of not more than 15 years is a severe offense where are made to serve jail time of not more than 24 months and pay a penalty of not more than $10,000.
Intoxication Assault
You may also get charged with third-degree felony for DWI if you caused serious injury to another person, otherwise known as intoxication assault. In this case, you will have to serve up to 10 years jail time, pay a substantial time and do community service.
What to Do When You Get Charged with DWI
A felony charge stays on your public records permanently. There’s no erasing it. And with that charge attached to your name, you might find certain things in life quite limiting, especially concerning employment and financial assistance. Also, you will go through a very stressful time in your life where even your relationship with family and friends can suffer.
The best that you can do is not to drink and drive in the first place. But things do happen, and you might find yourself in this very stressful situation.
Don’t think there’s no getting out of it. You can still clear your name and live your normal life if you fight the charge with an experienced DWI/DUI attorney. And the very first thing that you should do is to call your DWI lawyer before you talk to anyone else.
Try to remember as much as you can during the event of the arrest and relay everything honestly to your lawyer. Your DWI attorney could see some flaws in the administration of the blood alcohol test, question the test’s reliability and look for witnesses who can speak for you. If you work with your lawyer in creating a sound defense, there’s a good chance that you get out of the court with a dismissed case.
Still, if you’d rather live normally with all the driving privileges and a clean public record, just stay away from alcohol if you’re driving later on.