77494 dwi attorney

Texas Strict On Penalties Involving DWI Cases

It is no secret that drunk driving is extremely dangerous, regardless of which state you currently live in. Not only is it dangerous for you, but for others who are around you as well.

In many states, drunk driving can cost you a great deal.

Texas is currently ranked as the 13th toughest state in the entire nation in terms of DWI charges for 2017. Thus far, a total of 355 arrests have been made in Bexar County this year alone, and all for felony DWI. This included 43 arrests made back in July. Last year in Bexar County, there were a total of 590 arrests made for felony DWI.

Several experts recently came together and ranked all 50 states based on 15 different factors involving both penalties and prevention.

In Texas, the state currently requires those who have been arrested for a DWI to spend a minimum of three days in jail for an initial convicted. If convicted a second time and sentenced to jail time, they must spend a minimum of 30 days in jail.

Texas is also one of the states that takes into account prior convictions when it comes to penalties. On the other hand, there are ways in which Texas in lenient. For instance, Indiana makes a second offense a felony. Additionally, in Texas there is no minimum fine after a conviction or a mandatory assessment to determine if you need treatment for alcohol abuse.

Having a criminal record is not the only thing that someone arrested for a DWI should be worried about, though. In fact, the average car insurance rate in Texas can jump 44% following a conviction.

The toughest state for a drunk driving, seems to be Arizona, as they require a minimum 90-day jail sentence following the second conviction, as well as a mandatory vehicle ignition interlock following the first conviction. The most lenient state —South Dakota—who has no minimum fine or jail time following a conviction.

Thank you for visiting Collin Evans’ blog, a Houston criminal attorney. We write about current laws, events and news in Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston, Brazoria, and Montgomery County, Texas.