Repeat DWI Offenders Will Face Felony DWI Charges in Texas
If you have been charged with a second or third DWI, you will be facing more severe penalties than those associated with your first conviction. Harsh DWI penalties can ruin your life and greatly impact the lives of your family members. If you are convicted of multiple DWIs in Texas, jail is almost certainly in your future, with the specific circumstances of your case determining the period of incarceration.
Richmond multiple and felony DWI charges lawyer Larry P. McDougal Sr. has nearly four decades of experience defending repeat offenders. He recognizes the personal impact you will face if convicted, along with criminal consequences. With a permanent criminal record, particularly one containing a felony, you could experience difficulties getting certain jobs, your car insurance costs could skyrocket and you may risk custodial/visitation time with your children.
Call (281) 823-9377 for a free multiple and felony DWI charges consultation.
Life as you know it is at stake. You cannot afford to take chances with your legal representation. Contact The Law Office of Larry McDougal. We represent clients throughout Fort Bend County.
Attorney Larry P. McDougal Sr. is a former police officer and former prosecuting attorney. This experience helps him to read between the lines of police statements and witness statements. The omission of information an experienced lawyer would expect to see in these statements can open the door toward the execution of an effective defense strategy.
Consequences of a Texas Class a or B Misdemeanor DWI
If you have been charged with a second or third misdemeanor-level DWI in Texas, you are up against serious criminal consequences, including:
Up to one year in jail
Potentially thousands of dollars in fines
A minimum of 80 hours’ community service
Required victim impact panel attendance
Required installation of a deep lung air device/ignition interlock device
DWI education classes
If you receive a felony charge for a third or additional DWI, the penalties become much harder to bear. They can include:
Up to 10 years of incarceration
Up to $10,000 in fines
A minimum of 160 hours of community service
Required victim impact panel attendance
DWI education classes
Up to two years of driver’s license suspension
Required installation of a deep lung air device/ignition interlock device
Possible banishment from establishments serving alcohol
Texas Felony DWI
In Texas, two or more DWI convictions may lead the courts to believe you have a serious problem and are a danger to yourself and others on the road. While a second DWI is not automatically a felony, subsequent DWI arrests will most likely be charged at the felony level. You may also be subject to felony DWI charges if you have caused an accident that seriously harmed or killed others or if you were driving under the influence with a child under the age of 15 in the vehicle.
Felony DWI charges carry greater penalties than misdemeanor DWI charges, which include mandatory jail time up to 28 years and the possibility of permanent revocation of your driver’s license. The court may also decide to order you to treatment for alcoholism or drug addiction. Criminal consequences may also include a mandatory prescription for Antabuse, a drug that will make you violently ill should you consume any amount of alcohol.
Contact a Fort Bend County Multiple DUI Defense Lawyer
As your multiple and felony DWI charges lawyers, we will fight aggressively to eliminate or reduce the charges against you. If this is not possible, we will strive to negotiate a non-jail or prison alternative, such as substance abuse treatment with extended probation.
Contact The Law Office of Larry McDougal in Richmond via email or call us at (281) 823-9377 for a free consultation.
