What To Do If You Have A Dwi

Many people undermine the effects a DWI can have on your life. For one, it gives you a permanent criminal record. It can carry a misdemeanor or felony charge, depending on a few factors. This means you’ll spend up to ten years in prison. 

When a police officer stops you on suspicion of drinking while intoxicated, here’s what to expect. 

Sobriety test

The police officer will likely subject you to a sobriety test. They often use a breathalyzer to check alcohol levels and are permitted by law to extract blood for a drug test. You can reject the test, but it doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be convicted. At this point, you should consider calling a good DWI lawyer in Austin.

Post bond 

After taking the test and failing, you’ll likely be taken into custody. So what happens next? Well, it isn’t the end of the world. You will get the chance to call your lawyer to help you. Also, your family and friends can help post the bail on your behalf. 

If you also cannot find any family members to help, you can use a bondsman. These people can help you post the bail. However, you should know that they collect a 10% fee for the process. 

Discuss with your lawyer

You need to talk with your lawyer about the next steps to take in your DWI case, or else you could risk losing your license. In some states, you must attend a hearing within 15 days, and a judge will determine whether you are fit to keep your license. If you’re not, it could be suspended.

Your lawyer will come up with a good strategy to prevent this from happening. 

Court comes next

After all pretrial issues are sorted, your court hearings will resume. For them, your appearance is the most important thing, so ensure that you attend every single one. Besides just appearing, you have to show a calm demeanor and be punctual. Come early and settle in quickly. If you fail to do so, you could be at risk of being thrown back in jail. Your bond could also be revoked or increased. 

Lay low

The conditions of a bond are strict, meaning you have to be on your best behavior while you’re out on bond. This means no fighting, no causing trouble, and no drinking under the influence. If you happen to be involved in another case while this is ongoing, the judge will assume that you are not remorseful and revoke the bond. Your innocence or guilt won’t matter when this happens.

Evidence will save you

For DWI cases, your lawyer has a right to see the evidence and scrutinize it to help your case. If there was a single mistake during the arrest and sobriety tests, it could work in your favor and help you avoid jail time. 

This process may take some time, but you need to be patient. A good lawyer can help you get the case dismissed. However, if it’s your first traffic offense, then you may be able to get off with a slap on the wrist.