DWI Lawyers in Austin - Find a DWI Attorney
Have you recently been charged with driving while intoxicated / DWI in the Austin area. If so, there's a good chance you'll be going to court soon to face a judge on the matter. In such cases, an Austin DWI lawyer can help you understand your rights and the possible penalties you may face.
How an Austin Lawyer Can Help
Believe it or not, there are attorneys in the Austin area who specialize in helping people who have been charged with driving while intoxicated / driving under the influence. Naturally, they are referred to as DUI or DWI lawyers — legal professionals who are expert in this area of the law. I say "believe it or not" because many people don't realize there is such a specialty within the legal field. But there is, and there are many DWI attorneys working in the greater Austin area.
Here are some of the ways an Austin DWI lawyer can assist you:
1. Your lawyer will start by reviewing your legal situation.
What kinds of fines could you face for your DWI offense? What are your legal options in terms of minimizing your sentence? What is the best way forward, based on what has happened already? An Austin DWI attorney can help you answer these questions and many more, based on their knowledge of the law in general, and DWI matters in particular.
2. Your lawyer will explain future scenarios and consequences.
What happens to you when you go before a judge will largely depend on the severity of your DWI offense. The consequences will vary based on such factors as blood-alcohol content, whether you endangered other people, if you had children in the car, etc. Your DUI lawyer can help you understand the relationship between your offense and the possible punishment you will receive.
1. Your Austin DWI lawyer will represent you in court.
While there's a lot leading up to it, this is the part of the attorney-client relationship people are most familiar with. Here, your attorney will speak on your behalf in court, with the goal of reducing your sentence. He or she will do this by explaining any extenuating circumstances that may have been involved, and also by establishing your character. Of course, if you've been in court before for the same offense, your DUI lawyer won't have much to work with.
Penalties for DWI In Austin
One of the things your DWI lawyer will do (or should do) is help you understand the penalties you could face for driving while intoxicated in the Austin area. DWI / DUI laws are imposed on a state-by-state basis, so they vary from one state to another. To understand the possible penalties for a DWI in Austin we must examine Texas laws.
Here are the penalty guidelines used in Texas at the time this article was published:
- First DWI Offense — If it's the first time you've been charged with this crime, it will be considered a Class 'B' Misdemeanor. Jail time may range from 72 hours to six days. You could face fines of up to $2,000 or more, and there's a good chance you'll be issued a conditional license that only allows you to drive to work and other essential destinations.
- Second DWI Offense — Now you are facing a Class 'A' Misdemeanor offense. Your jail stay may be increased up to one year, and the fines could easily double from your first offense. There's also a very good chance you're license will be suspended for several months.
- Third DWI Offense — If you reach this level, you really have no business driving a car. Nor should anyone have pity on you (especially not the judge). You are a danger to society. You have now "upgraded" to a felony charge and could spend up to ten years in prison. If the judicial system does its job, you will never drive in Austin (or anywhere else in Texas) even again.
Now you can see why people in these situations often turn to an Austin DWI lawyer for help. It's serious business! Not only do you face possible fines, jail time and license suspension. But you also carry that DWI charge around with you for a long time. This could make it hard to get a job, among other things.
Learn more about Austin DWI Lawyers here.
Learning a Lesson - Hopefully
The main thing you should take away from this article is that driving while intoxicated is something to be avoided. The legal ramifications are actually the least of your worries. DWI can also lead to injury or death — for you or (even worse) for an innocent bystander. You're reading this article because it has already happened once. Don't let it happen again.