What Can You Expect from Sentencing of a First Offense DWI?

Have you recently been accused of a first offense DWI in the state of Texas? Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the consequences are not serious. In fact, if you are not careful, you could face many problems, challenges and consequences. The support of an experienced criminal defense lawyer may be the only thing that protects you from spending time behind bars as well as dealing with any of the other consequences that might be assessed in your case.

It should be your first priority after being arrested for a crime like this to retain the services of a lawyer who has been practicing in the field of DWI allegations for many years. Although each case is specific to the judge, if you are convicted for a first offense DWI in Texas, you are likely looking at at least three days in county jail as a mandatory sentence unless you have been granted probation. The other option is community supervision, which means you will be sentenced to some type of community service. You could be required to submit to further conditions like attending a state approved rehab facility or DWI school. The civil consequences can be some of the most serious associated with your case.

Your driver’s license, for example, could be suspended and this could be for up to 180 days if you refuse to take a breath or a blood test or up to 90 days if the results of your test reveal that you had a blood alcohol content of .08 or above. This is as a result of the Texas implied consent laws. As soon as possible after you have been arrested, you need to share the specifics of your case with your criminal defense lawyer to better understand how to proceed.