Tarrant County DWI Lawyer

It’s easy to get pulled over and arrested for drunk driving. Getting a DWI dismissed is much harder. But it can be done. Speak with a Tarrant County lawyer to find out how.

If you’ve been pulled over and arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Tarrant County, you’re probably wondering what you should do next. Like many people, you might even be wondering whether you really need to worry about fighting the DWI charges. The short answer is “yes!” A drunk driving offense is not a traffic ticket and needs to be taken seriously. DWI is a criminal charge. A conviction means you’ll now have a criminal record to worry about. And that’s something that can follow you for the rest of your life. Getting a DWI dismissed or winning an acquittal isn’t easy. But it can be done when you retain the right legal counsel. By working with a Tarrant County DWI lawyer from the Law Offices of Jeff C. Kennedy, you can give yourself the best chance to clear your name and protect your future.

Why Fight a DWI in Tarrant County?

If you get convicted for driving while intoxicated in Tarrant County, you can expect a number of penalties. For one, your auto insurance rates are almost certain to spike. A DWI is unlike a number of other criminal offenses in that you’ll be paying for the conviction for years beyond the first fine. Every car insurance company uses its own system. But none of them are shy about using a DWI as an excuse to charge more, likely for several years to come.

If this isn’t your first DWI, you might wind up having to resort to high-risk insurance that can make driving unreasonably expensive. Also, a DWI can even cost you your job, especially if your career has involved driving. Finding a new job can become equally difficult. This can then put a strain on everything from your family to your finances. In the end, it’s best to do all you can to avoid all of this. That means working with a DWI lawyer from Tarrant County. Plus, all of this hasn’t even touched on the legal consequences that a drinking and driving conviction will bring.

What Are The Fines & Penalties For a DWI in Tarrant County?

As a general rule, Tarrant County and Texas take a hard line against drunk driving. Just look at the state’s No Refusal Weekends. The state has a tiered system for punishing DWIs. That means the severity of your punishment will depend on how many past drunk driving offenses you’ve been convicted of:

• First DWI – A first-time DWI offense is a Class B misdemeanor. Conviction can result in up to 180 days in jail, up to a $2,000 fine, drivers license suspension of one year, and a three-year annual surcharge of up to $2,000 to retain a reinstated license.
• Second DWI – A second DWI offense is a Class A misdemeanor. Conviction can result in up to one year in jail, up to a $4,000 fine, drivers license suspension of two years, and a three-year annual surcharge of up to $2,000 to retain a reinstated license.
• Third or Higher DWI – Any DWI after the second is a third-degree felony. Conviction can result in between two and ten years in prison, license suspension of two years, and a three-year annual surcharge of up to $2,000 to retain a reinstated license.

Finally, two DWI convictions within a five-year period can also lead to the installation of an ignition interlock device (IID) in your car. The IID will prevent your car from starting unless you breathe into it to pass a breath test.

What Other Offenses Can Accompany DWI in Tarrant County, Texas?

• It’s not uncommon for a DWI offense to be just one of the charges you face after a traffic stop or an accident alleged to involve alcohol.
• For instance, DWI is normally charged when your blood alcohol content (BAC) equals or exceeds .08 percent. If your BAC was very high, specifically .15 percent or higher, you could be charged with an additional Class A misdemeanor.
• DWI with a child passenger is also a criminal offense all its own. This is a state jail felony. That means you could be facing up to two years in jail, up to a $10,000 fine, and a drivers license suspension of 180 days.
• Accidents involving drunk driving and harm to someone else are highly likely to result in additional charges that you’ll want a DWI lawyer on your side to fight. If there is a serious bodily injury, you could be charged with intoxication assault. That’s a third-degree felony. If someone dies in the wreck, you might face intoxication manslaughter. That’s a second-degree felony.

Properly Defending a Dwi Charge in Tarrant County

Getting charged with DWI often means failing a sobriety test of some sort. This could take the form of a blood draw; a Breathalyzer; or a field test that measures balance, coordination, or mental awareness. Because these tests often seem cut-and-dry, people often don’t see how a DWI can be beaten in court. In this case, popular perception is very, very wrong.

A Tarrant County DWI defense lawyer from our firm will know how to identify the flaws in the case against you. No sobriety test is accurate all the time—not even blood and breath tests. Field sobriety tests are very subjective and mostly up to the discretion of the officer. What’s more, DWI arrests often involve rights violations that can see crucial evidence thrown out of court. If the state doesn’t have any evidence to support their case against you, the judge often has no choice but to rule in your favor.