Facing felony driving while intoxicated (DWI) criminal charges can be an overwhelming experience, but you are not alone. A criminal conviction could lead to significant jail time and hefty fines, impacting various aspects of your life, including your job and daily activities. Our felony DWI lawyer in Richardson, TX, is here to help you safeguard your future.
At the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg, our DWI lawyer in Richardson can offer you hope. Randall Isenberg has spent more than 30 years in the Texas criminal justice system. In addition to his time as a criminal defense attorney, he has served as a felony prosecutor and state court judge. This in-depth knowledge of the legal system sets us apart as legal support.
If you need fast and discrete help regarding an alleged felony DWI conviction in Richardson, explore what our firm can do for you.
Understanding the Penalties of a Felony DWI in Richardson
Although many drunk driving offenses carry misdemeanor charges in Texas, repeat offenses and more serious DWI incidents qualify for felony charges. Due to this, the help of a Richardson criminal defense lawyer can be extremely beneficial in reducing your penalties.
What Is DWI in Texas?
The Texas Penal Code (TPC) defines DWI as operating a motor vehicle in a public place with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or above or in a physical or mental condition that a police officer deems unsafe.
If your BAC tests at 0.15 or above, or if you had any aggravating circumstances — such as an open container or minor passenger — you will face more serious charges. You will also face felony charges if:
- You have two prior DWI convictions
- You caused an accident that resulted in injuries,
- You killed someone while driving drunk,
- You got a DWI with a passenger age 14 or under in your car
Potential Penalties for a Felony DWI in Texas
Upon conviction for a felony drunk driving charge, you may face penalties as follows:
State Jail Felony DWI
- State jail time: six months to two years
- Monetary fine of up to $10,000
- A potential two-year driver’s license suspension
Third-Degree Felony DWI
- Prison time: two to ten years
- Monetary fine of up to $10,000
- A potential two-year driver’s license suspension
Second-Degree Felony DWI
- Prison, two to 20 years
- Monetary fine of up to $10,000
- A potential two-year driver’s license suspension
First-Degree Felony DWI
- Prison, five years to life
- Monetary fine of up to $10,000
- A potential two-year driver’s license suspension
You also face the likelihood of community supervision (i.e., supervised probation), community service (up to 1,000 hours), court-required substance abuse treatment, education, or counseling (at your cost), and having to install an ignition interlock device on any vehicles you own or drive.
Once your driver’s license suspension is up, you will have to pay a surcharge to reinstate your driving privileges as well as an annual fee of $1,000-$2,000 for three years to keep your license in force.
Upon a felony conviction in Richardson, you may also lose your right to own or possess a firearm.
The Importance of Having a Felony DWI Lawyer
Whether you were arrested for your third offense DWI, for intoxication assault, intoxication manslaughter, or driving drunk with a minor child passenger, a conviction can result in overwhelming penalties.
Legal Representation Protects Your Rights
We recommend you call us for a free consultation with a felony DWI drunk driving lawyer before you give any statements to the police or make any decisions about your future. One wrong move could cost you your freedom and your future.
We will be there for you during questioning, ensuring you do not say anything that might jeopardize your case. We will continue to protect your rights throughout the process.
We Put Our Resources to Work for You
Ensuring that you make well-informed decisions about your future is our key concern. The legal services that we provide are tailored to fit your unique circumstances and needs. Our experienced Richardson felony DWI lawyers understand Texas DWI laws and are committed to building a strong defense strategy for you.
Each case is unique, and the potential outcomes can vary significantly based on prior convictions, circumstances surrounding the incident, and the specific charges you face.
Our legal team goes to work as soon as you call us, investigating the circumstances of your case and analyzing every scrap of evidence. Our goal is to identify mistakes made in your case, violations of your legal rights, and any other information that could help us with your defense.
Many of our clients might have faced a wrongful conviction based on flawed chemical testing for BAC and errors or biased field sobriety tests given by the police.
We Work With Experts to Prove Your Case
We have subject matter experts at our disposal who can provide testimony regarding your potential state of intoxication. Our breathalyzer and chemical BAC testing experts can identify any errors or problems with your test procedures or results. If you caused an accident, we can work with accident reconstruction experts to determine exactly how the accident occurred.
Our team will work diligently to build the strongest possible case. We will then use that information to negotiate with the prosecutor to have your charges reduced or dismissed. Or, if we must make your case in court, we will prepare for a trial.
License Suspension for a Felony DWI in Richardson
After an arrest for felony drunk driving, the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) initiates the Administrative License Revocation (ALR) process. The purpose of ALR is to impose driver’s license suspensions for those individuals who drove while intoxicated.
Within 15 days of your DWI arrest, you must make a formal request to schedule your ALR hearing. At the hearing, you and the arresting officer will present sworn testimony before an Administrative Law Judge. Based on that testimony, the judge will decide whether to impose a license suspension and, if so, for how long.
What to Expect at the Hearing
Although this hearing will determine the outcome of your license, it also presents an important opportunity for our criminal defense lawyers to learn more about the prosecution’s evidence against you. If you make any self-incriminating statements under oath, the prosecutor can use that information against you in your criminal trial.
We will represent you at the hearing to ensure that you do not make any incriminating statements and that you have the chance to question the arresting officer under oath.
We will make the strongest possible case for you to keep your license. If the judge does impose a suspension, we can appeal that suspension or petition the court to grant an occupational license, which will allow you to drive to work, school, court, doctor’s appointments, and other necessary personal business.
How We Challenge the Felony DWI Allegations Against You
If you are hoping to avoid the criminal offense of being convicted for a felony DWI in Richardson, TX, TX, it is important to consider all of your options. Your Richardson felony DWI lawyer at the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg will carefully review the circumstances of your case to determine what kind of defense strategy is needed.
Potential Defenses We Can Use
When our law firm defends your case at trial, there are multiple defenses we could use to avoid potential consequences. Examples of potential defenses used to challenge DWIs in Richardson, TX, TX include:
- Unlawful stop by law enforcement
- Issues with chemical blood test results
- Police misconduct
- Illegal search and seizure
- You were not driving or in control of a vehicle
- Challenging the legitimacy of the chemical blood test results
- Inaccurate field sobriety test results
When you work with our firm, we will look at every detail of your case to determine the best defense strategy to use. The legal process is easier with a Richardson DWI lawyer by your side.
Schedule a No-Cost Consultation With a Felony DWI Lawyer in Richardson
To help you decide on the next step, the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg offers a complimentary case evaluation. Our criminal defense firm takes on the legwork of clearing or reducing your Richardson DWI to prevent you from having a criminal record that may deter your life.
Do not try to fight these charges on your own. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with a Felony DWI lawyer in Richardson who can present the different defense options that are available to you.
