Texas DWI Defense

In Texas, DWI severity escalates quickly. A first offense is usually a Class B misdemeanor, but the charge can climb to a second-degree felony depending on prior convictions, BAC level, and whether anyone was injured.

• DWI 1st: Class B misdemeanor, up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
• DWI 1st with BAC 0.15+: Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
• DWI 2nd: Class A misdemeanor, up to 1 year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
• DWI 3rd or more: Third-degree felony, 2 to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
• DWI with child passenger: State jail felony, 180 days to 2 years and up to a $10,000 fine.
• Intoxication assault: Third-degree felony, 2 to 10 years in prison.
• Intoxication manslaughter: Second-degree felony, 2 to 20 years in prison.

Most clients are surprised to learn that a DWI arrest triggers two separate proceedings: the criminal case in court, and an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The ALR is its own clock. You have only 15 days from the arrest to request a hearing. Miss it, and your license is automatically suspended, even if you are eventually acquitted of the DWI itself. We file the ALR request the same day we are retained.

DWI cases turn on technical details, not just whether you had been drinking. Every step in the State’s case has weak points: the stop, the field sobriety tests, the breath or blood draw, the chain of custody, the lab analysis. We attack each one.

• Lawfulness of the traffic stop and probable cause to detain
• Reliability of the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (HGN, walk-and-turn, one-leg-stand)
• Calibration and maintenance records for the Intoxilyzer breath instrument
• Chain of custody and storage of any blood sample
• Qualifications of the phlebotomist and the lab analyst
• Refusal to take a test and what the State can use against you
• Independent expert review of the State’s evidence

A DWI conviction follows you outside the criminal record. Auto insurance premiums spike for years. Some employers, professional licensing boards, and security clearance programs treat any DWI as disqualifying. Commercial drivers can lose their CDL on a first offense.

If you have been arrested for DWI in Dallas or anywhere in Texas, the next 15 days matter most. Call (214) 526-1100 today. We will start the ALR process immediately and begin building your defense.