If you have been charged with driving while intoxicated in Texas, the consequences you are facing could vary significantly depending on whether or not it is your first offense. Choosing to operate a vehicle after you have been drinking can wreak havoc on your life in many ways and affect things like your career, your relationships and your education. Fortunately, with a resolve to change your habits and take responsibility for your actions, you can overcome your charge and move forward in your life.
Because driving while intoxicated is such a serious offense and one that endangers the lives of you, your passengers and other motorists, the legal consequences you are facing will reflect the severity of your decision. According to The Texas Department of Transportation, while the legal limit is .08 blood alcohol content, if authorities have adequate evidence that you are impaired even with a lower BAC, you could still be facing charges of DWI. Depending on your gender, age and physical size, you could be affected more easily than others by even the smallest consumption of alcohol.
You can be charged $500 if you are found with an open container of alcohol in your vehicle even if there is no evidence that you have been drinking it. For a first offense DWI, you could be fined up to $2000. A second offense could cost you up to $4000 and a third offense could leave you battling a $10,000 fine. You may also be facing charges exceeding $1000 if you desire to keep your license until a substantive time has passed and you are no longer considered at risk of reoffending.
Recommendations for jail time, as well as the status of your license and privilege to drive, are also affected by each subsequent offense. Any combination of consequences could be recommended for you depending on the severity of your situation and how many other people were affected by your decision to drink and drive.