Challenging a First-Offense DWI Charge in Texas

 Posted on March 29, 2024 in DWI

Being arrested and facing criminal charges can be an overwhelming experience, especially if this is your first run-in with the law. For example, if you are facing first-offense DWI charges in Texas, you may be unaware of the different legal strategies available to you as you look to fight these charges. Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to learn more about your options.

At Soraya Joslin, P.C., Attorney Joslin is a seasoned legal professional who has worked on countless cases defending clients against first-offense DWI charges. When you retain Attorney Joslin’s services, you can feel confident knowing that you have an attorney who will work with you through every step of your case to ensure you have the best available chance at beating the charges and getting on with your life. Here are some of the strategies she may use to fight your charges.

Challenging Field Sobriety Tests 

Commonly used by law enforcement to assess a driver’s level of intoxication, field sobriety tests have become commonplace when gauging whether an individual is indeed intoxicated. Many believe field sobriety tests are always accurate, but this is not true. Factors such as weather conditions, physical limitations of the person undergoing the test, and nervousness can all affect the outcome of the test.

When challenging field sobriety test results, your attorney will highlight any issues that may have affected your performance during the test, like medical conditions you may have or whether the law enforcement officer administered the test incorrectly. By creating doubt about the reliability of the tests, you can weaken the prosecution’s argument against you.

Highlighting Chemical Testing Errors 

Chemical testing, like breathalyzer or blood tests, is often considered a definitive way to identify intoxication in DWI cases. However, these tests are far from 100 percent accurate. There are many different ways these tests can be given incorrectly, or there may even be a problem with the test itself, such as errors in the calibration of the test. Moreover, the law enforcement officer may misinterpret the results, leading to unjustified DWI arrests. Whatever the situation, your lawyer will aggressively scrutinize any chemical testing procedures to raise as much doubt as possible regarding the accuracy of the tests.

Questioning the Reason for the Pull-Over

A police officer has to have a legitimate reason for pulling someone over. If there is reason to believe that the stop was not justified, or perhaps was even done due to bias or prejudice against the person who was targeted, it may be possible to question whether the officer had reasonable suspicion to pull someone over. If an officer lacked reasonable suspicion to pull someone over, all of the charges could be dropped.

Contact Our Weatherford, TX First-Offense DWI Attorney

Do not let the shock of being arrested stop you from obtaining the essential legal guidance you need. Contact the experienced and respected Parker County, TX first-offense DWI lawyer with Soraya Joslin, P.C. for the legal assistance you need. Call 817-599-7005 for a free consultation.