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DWI Case In Houston – Atty. Jim Butler Pt 2

The Impact Of DWIs In Texas

Part 2

The Consequences Of DWI In Texas

This is one of those crimes that is going to come with serious criminal penalties including fines and/or jail time depending on the circumstances. It is important to note a DWI conviction can lead to additional penalties and/or a suspended driving license. In other situations, there are associated consequences that come along with a conviction such as this one.

Criminal Punishment

Texas law is clear when it comes to the maximum penalties that can be set up for a DWI conviction. The penalties are determined based on whether or not you have been charged in the past for the same crime along with what the consequences were in those cases.

  • DWI 1st Offense – With a first offense, it is going to be noted as a Class B misdemeanor. This is going to have a fine of $2,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to 6 months depending on the facts. This can become a Class A misdemeanor if the blood alcohol level goes past 0.15. With this type of charge, it is going to go up to a fine of $4,000 and/or a jail sentence of up to 1 year. An individual can also be charged with an additional license renewal fee of $2,000 per year for up to three years.
  • DWI 2nd Offense – For the second offense, it is going to be a Class A misdemeanor. This means you are going to have to face a maximum fine of $4,000 and/or one year in jail.
  • DWI 3rd Offense – For the third offense, this is going to be noted as a third-degree felony. This involves a fine of $10,000 and a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
  • DWI 4th Offense – This is an offense that is going to be noted as a felony offense. This means it is going to have a maximum fine of up to $20,000 and a potential prison sentence of 10 years.

While the numbers and prison sentences listed here are possible, they tend to be on the higher end for each offense. They are the worst-case scenario. A lot of convictions that are made in Texas will be far below this number in each category.

Administrative Punishment

With a DWI conviction, it is also possible to end up having to deal with administrative consequences associated with your ability to get behind the wheel again. These consequences can include something as simple as mandatory license suspensions and/or fees. Just like the previously listed consequences associated with criminal penalties, there are separate tiers for how many times the offense takes place.

  • DWI 1st Offense – With a first DWI offense, an individual can get their driver’s license suspended for up to a year. Once you are eligible to regain your license, there will be a fee of $2,000 per year for up to 3 years to get your driving privileges again. There are additional fees that can be tacked on during this process.
  • DWI 2nd Offense – With a second DWI offense, the suspension increases to two years for all driving privileges. You are also going to have to pay the $2,000 fee per year for up to 3 years.
  • DWI 3rd Offense – With a third DWI offense, there is going to be a suspension of up to two years. This is going to end up including the fee of $2,000 per year for up to three years.
  • DWI 4th Offense – With a fourth DWI offense, there is going to be a two-year suspension on the driver’s license and a $2,000 per year surcharge.

While the numbers and prison sentences listed here are possible, they tend to be on the higher end for each offense. They are the worst-case scenario. A lot of convictions that are made in Texas will be far below this number in each category.

Visit our blog for more related articles. We also invite you to contact or call us today if you are in need of the best DWI Law Attorney in Houston. Click here for the third article in this series.

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