Austin DWI Lawyers
Austin, Texas DWI Attorneys handling DWI and drunk driving defense cases in Travis County, Texas. Call the Dunham Law Firm today to speak with an Austin DWI Lawyer to find out how they can help you.
For an immediate free consultation on your arrest for driving while intoxicated in Austin, Texas, call (512) 879-1414 or simply fill out the contact form to your left. The Dunham Law Firm has been handling Texas DWI cases since 1989 and has over 200 years combined legal experience. Many of the criminal defense lawyers are former Assistant District Attorneys with many years of trial experience. But hurry time is important for keeping your Texas Driver's License.
Fill out the form to your left to have Austin DWI Lawyers with the Dunham Law Firm send you your free arrest report regarding your DWI arrest in Travis County, Texas.
The Dunham Law Firm handles Texas DWI (Driving While Intoxicated), DUI (Driving Under the Influence) and BWI (Boating While Intoxicated) cases in and around Travis County, Texas. Having Texas Board Certified Criminal Law Specialists* and former prosecutors handling your DWI defense case in Austin can make the difference between winning, going to jail or doing DWI probation. You will find our law firm to be very knowledgeable about Texas DWI Laws and drunk driving penalties and information.
Finding an Experienced DWI Lawyer in Austin
When selecting legal representation, realize that the experience of your Austin DWI Attorney in Texas is very important. The way your DWI defense case is handled will have an influence on the outcome and thus your future. Having Texas Board Certified Criminal Law Specialists* on your side can mean the difference between obtaining a good result and a bad result. At the Dunham Law Firm, many of our criminal defense attorneys have previously been Assistant District Attorneys, spending years perfecting their courtroom skills. We know the procedures of the criminal court system and can make that system work for you.
Proven Track Record against DWI's in Travis County, Texas
The Dunham Law Firm has accumulated a highly successful record of acquittals, dismissals and reductions in DWI defense. Each TX DWI is different, but note that the criminal defense lawyers at the Dunham Law Firm always start with the goal of getting your charge of driving while intoxicated in Austin dismissed or reduced to a traffic ticket.
Serious Consequences for a Texas DWI in Austin
A Texas DWI charge has serious consequences. You may lose your Texas Driver's License, experience a substantial increase in car insurance rates, pay large fines and court costs, suffer a driver's license surcharge ranging from $3,000.00 to $6,000.00, and possibly face jail time.
Don't leave your future to chance. Select an Austin DWI Lawyer who will fight for you. At the Dunham Law Firm we will work for dismissal or reduction of your DWI charge. If we are successful, you may even be able to have your arrest record and fingerprints torn up! Don't let this arrest record affect your job or your future; call us immediately to discuss how we can handle your Texas DWI.
Affordable Legal Fees and Pay Plans
Our legal fees are fair and competitive, especially for Texas Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist. In most DWI cases, we charge a low flat rate and often do not require any money down. The initial consultation is free. When you factor in our legal experience and proven case results, the Dunham Law Firm is a good choice for those who want the highest quality of legal representation at a fair and reasonable cost.
A Word of Warning about your Texas Driver's License
You have only 15 days from the date of your DWI arrest in Texas to request a hearing on your Texas Driver's License. According to the Texas DWI laws, if you fail to request a hearing, your Texas Driver's License may be suspended and you face the probability of paying huge fines for several years. It is important that you hire quality legal representation for this hearing to challenge the license suspension. Having legal representation for this license hearing provides an opportunity for your criminal defense attorney to question the arresting police officer. Putting the police officer on the stand helps to establish his or her position, which can be very beneficial to your DWI defense case.
Texas Driver's License Surcharge (Fines)
Since 2003, the Texas Department of Public Safety has been authorized to levy a surcharge on Texas Driver's Licenses suspended for DWI and alcohol related arrests. This surcharge can range from $1,000.00 to $2,000.00 per year for three years. Depending on your DWI, you could be facing a $6,000.00 fee just to keep your Texas Driver's License. Now you know why it is so important to fight your driver's license suspension.
Speak to an Austin DWI Lawyer Today
Call the Austin DWI Attorneys at the Dunham Law Firm in Texas today to discuss the ways they can help you keep your Texas Driver's License and try to dismiss or reduce your driving while intoxicated charge. The TX DWI attorneys at the Dunham Law Firm will take the necessary time to explain the whole process of your driving while intoxicated charge that you face.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Info of Driving under the influence or DUI
What is DWI?
The spesific criminal offence may be called, depending on the juridiction, driving while intoxicated(DWI), operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OMVI), driving under the influence [of alcohol or other drugs] (DUI), driving under the combined influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, driving under the influence per se or drunk in charge [of a vehicle]. Many of such laws apply also to boating, piloting aircraft, riding a horse or conducting a horse-drawn vehicle, or cycling.
The Means of Driving under the influence Known as a "DUI" and "DWI"
Driving under the influence of alcohol (driving while intoxicated, drunk driving, drinking and driving, drink-driving) or other drugs, is the act of operating a vehicle (including bicycle, boat, airplane, wheelchair, tractor or horse) after consuming alcohol or other drugs. It is a criminal offense in many countries.
Overview
Driving under the influence is a serious health hazard. In the United States, for example, alcohol is estimated to play a role in 39 percent of vehicle-related deaths and to cost $51 billion annually. More recently it has been reported that alcohol contributes to nearly 30 percent of all Canadian traffic fatalities and 44 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States.
In most countries, anyone who is convicted of injuring or killing someone while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can be heavily fined, as in France, in addition to being given a lengthy prison sentence. Many states in the U.S. have adopted truth in sentencing laws that enforce strict guidelines on sentencing. For example, if a defendant is sentenced to ten years, he or she will be in prison for that entire time. This is different from past practice where prison time was reduced or suspended after sentencing had been issued.
The specific criminal offense may be called, depending on the jurisdiction, driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OMVI), driving under the influence [of alcohol or other drugs] (DUI), driving under the combined influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, driving under the influence per se or drunk in charge [of a vehicle]. Many of such laws apply also to boating, piloting aircraft, riding a horse or conducting a horse-drawn vehicle, or cycling.
Historically, guilt was established by observed driving symptoms, such as weaving; administering field sobriety tests, such as a walking a straight line heel-to-toe or standing on one leg for 30 seconds; and the arresting officer's subjective opinion of impairment. The US Department of Transportation explains the Field Sobriety Test as, "a battery of three tests administered and evaluated in a standardized manner to obtain validated indicators of impairment and establish probable cause for arrest." Starting with the introduction in Norway in 1936 of the world’s first per se law which made it an offense to drive with more than a specified amount of alcohol in the body, objective chemical tests have gradually supplemented the earlier purely judgmental ones. Limits for chemical tests are specific for blood alcohol concentration or concentration of alcohol in breath.
With the advent of a scientific test for blood alcohol content (BAC), enforcement regimes moved to pinning culpability for the offense to strict liability based on driving while having more than a prescribed amount of blood alcohol, although this does not preclude the simultaneous existence of the older subjective tests. BAC is most conveniently measured as a simple percent of alcohol in the blood by weight. It does not depend on any units of measurement. In Europe it is usually expressed as milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. However, 100 milliliters of blood weighs essentially the same as 100 milliliters of water, which weighs precisely 100 grams. Thus, for all practical purposes, this is the same as the simple dimensionless BAC measured as a percent. Since 2002 it has been illegal in all 50 US states to drive with a BAC that is 0.08% or higher.
The validity of the testing equipment/methods and mathematical relationships for the measurement of breath and blood alcohol have been criticized. (Taylor 2007)
Driving while consuming alcohol may be illegal within a jurisdiction. In some it is illegal for an open container of an alcoholic beverage to be in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle or in some specific area of that compartment.
The German model serves to reduce the number of accidents by identifying unfit drivers and removing them from traffic until their fitness to drive has been established again. The Medical Psychological Assessment (MPA) works for a prognosis of the fitness for drive in future, has an interdisciplinary basic approach and offers the chance of individual rehabilitation to the offender.
George Smith, a London taxi driver, was the first person to be convicted of drunk driving, on 9 September 1897. He was fined 20 shillings.
Myths
A person's blood alcohol content is not the only thing that can determine a persons sobriety. A driver having a blood alcohol content (BAC) reading somewhat lower than .08%, but also showed signs of impairment can be charged with a DUI. The “legal limit” is simply the number above which a driver is automatically guilty of driving under the influence (or some related statute) without any other evidence. However, many states also allow for DUI charges and conviction when a driver has a slightly lower BAC reading but also fails field sobriety tests, drives erratically, or otherwise shows signs of being impaired.
There are many ways that a person could give themselves the illusion that they are more sober. Drinking coffee increases awareness; therefore, the drinker believes that they are more sober. In reality, the person is still impaired for the purposes of driving, as their coordination, reaction time, etc. are still affected by the alcohol. Eating various dehydrated and salty products such as crackers, chips and pretzels may settle the stomach allowing the consumer to feel more sober when, in reality, they are simply keeping their blood sugars from crashing, as drinking without the consumption of food would.
next topic Austin DWI and lawyer
The spesific criminal offence may be called, depending on the juridiction, driving while intoxicated(DWI), operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OMVI), driving under the influence [of alcohol or other drugs] (DUI), driving under the combined influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, driving under the influence per se or drunk in charge [of a vehicle]. Many of such laws apply also to boating, piloting aircraft, riding a horse or conducting a horse-drawn vehicle, or cycling.
The Means of Driving under the influence Known as a "DUI" and "DWI"
Driving under the influence of alcohol (driving while intoxicated, drunk driving, drinking and driving, drink-driving) or other drugs, is the act of operating a vehicle (including bicycle, boat, airplane, wheelchair, tractor or horse) after consuming alcohol or other drugs. It is a criminal offense in many countries.
Overview
Driving under the influence is a serious health hazard. In the United States, for example, alcohol is estimated to play a role in 39 percent of vehicle-related deaths and to cost $51 billion annually. More recently it has been reported that alcohol contributes to nearly 30 percent of all Canadian traffic fatalities and 44 percent of traffic fatalities in the United States.
In most countries, anyone who is convicted of injuring or killing someone while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can be heavily fined, as in France, in addition to being given a lengthy prison sentence. Many states in the U.S. have adopted truth in sentencing laws that enforce strict guidelines on sentencing. For example, if a defendant is sentenced to ten years, he or she will be in prison for that entire time. This is different from past practice where prison time was reduced or suspended after sentencing had been issued.
The specific criminal offense may be called, depending on the jurisdiction, driving while intoxicated (DWI), operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (OMVI), driving under the influence [of alcohol or other drugs] (DUI), driving under the combined influence of alcohol and/or other drugs, driving under the influence per se or drunk in charge [of a vehicle]. Many of such laws apply also to boating, piloting aircraft, riding a horse or conducting a horse-drawn vehicle, or cycling.
Historically, guilt was established by observed driving symptoms, such as weaving; administering field sobriety tests, such as a walking a straight line heel-to-toe or standing on one leg for 30 seconds; and the arresting officer's subjective opinion of impairment. The US Department of Transportation explains the Field Sobriety Test as, "a battery of three tests administered and evaluated in a standardized manner to obtain validated indicators of impairment and establish probable cause for arrest." Starting with the introduction in Norway in 1936 of the world’s first per se law which made it an offense to drive with more than a specified amount of alcohol in the body, objective chemical tests have gradually supplemented the earlier purely judgmental ones. Limits for chemical tests are specific for blood alcohol concentration or concentration of alcohol in breath.
With the advent of a scientific test for blood alcohol content (BAC), enforcement regimes moved to pinning culpability for the offense to strict liability based on driving while having more than a prescribed amount of blood alcohol, although this does not preclude the simultaneous existence of the older subjective tests. BAC is most conveniently measured as a simple percent of alcohol in the blood by weight. It does not depend on any units of measurement. In Europe it is usually expressed as milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. However, 100 milliliters of blood weighs essentially the same as 100 milliliters of water, which weighs precisely 100 grams. Thus, for all practical purposes, this is the same as the simple dimensionless BAC measured as a percent. Since 2002 it has been illegal in all 50 US states to drive with a BAC that is 0.08% or higher.
The validity of the testing equipment/methods and mathematical relationships for the measurement of breath and blood alcohol have been criticized. (Taylor 2007)
Driving while consuming alcohol may be illegal within a jurisdiction. In some it is illegal for an open container of an alcoholic beverage to be in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle or in some specific area of that compartment.
The German model serves to reduce the number of accidents by identifying unfit drivers and removing them from traffic until their fitness to drive has been established again. The Medical Psychological Assessment (MPA) works for a prognosis of the fitness for drive in future, has an interdisciplinary basic approach and offers the chance of individual rehabilitation to the offender.
George Smith, a London taxi driver, was the first person to be convicted of drunk driving, on 9 September 1897. He was fined 20 shillings.
Myths
A person's blood alcohol content is not the only thing that can determine a persons sobriety. A driver having a blood alcohol content (BAC) reading somewhat lower than .08%, but also showed signs of impairment can be charged with a DUI. The “legal limit” is simply the number above which a driver is automatically guilty of driving under the influence (or some related statute) without any other evidence. However, many states also allow for DUI charges and conviction when a driver has a slightly lower BAC reading but also fails field sobriety tests, drives erratically, or otherwise shows signs of being impaired.
There are many ways that a person could give themselves the illusion that they are more sober. Drinking coffee increases awareness; therefore, the drinker believes that they are more sober. In reality, the person is still impaired for the purposes of driving, as their coordination, reaction time, etc. are still affected by the alcohol. Eating various dehydrated and salty products such as crackers, chips and pretzels may settle the stomach allowing the consumer to feel more sober when, in reality, they are simply keeping their blood sugars from crashing, as drinking without the consumption of food would.
next topic Austin DWI and lawyer
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