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Penalties you could face if you get a DWI

| Sep 28, 2017 | Criminal Defense |

Driving while intoxicated is dangerous to you and to those around you. Someone is hurt or killed approximately every 20 minutes in Texas due to crashes involving alcohol. While most people understand the risks of drunk driving, many people still participate in this dangerous act. Why? They don’t think accidents or arrests will happen to them.

If you’re caught after drinking and driving, you may want to know what kinds of penalties you could face in Texas. These are some of the penalties that you could face if you are convicted of drunk driving.

DWI with a .08 blood alcohol concentration

Any time your blood alcohol concentration is .08 or higher, you can be arrested for driving while intoxicated. An officer can determine that you’re impaired or intoxicated for other reasons, too, though, so the .08 percent limit is not strict. For example, if you mixed prescription medications with alcohol and are driving while impaired, you could still face penalties.

Driving while drunk with a child passenger

If you drive with a child in your vehicle and are convicted of drunk driving, you face a fine of up to $10,000. You could lose your license for up to 180 days and face up to two years in a state jail. A child is considered any individual 15 years of age or younger for the purposes of these penalties.

Primary penalties for a second or third offense

If this is your second- or third-offense DWI, you face fines of up to $4,000 or $10,000, respectively. Second offenses lead to up to a year in jail, while third offenses can result in up to 10 years in prison. In both cases, you face an annual fee of up to $2,000 for up to three years to keep your driver’s license.

These are just a few of many penalties you could face if you’re convicted of drunk driving. Take the time to defend yourself, and you could face fewer penalties.

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