Getting a DWI sucks. Period. There’s really no better way to describe an arrest for DWI in Texas. It’s expensive, it’s embarrassing, it can result in you losing your job because you didn’t report to work the next day because…well, you were in jail and couldn’t make it. With the help of a good DWI defense attorney, you can avoid the permanent consequences that come with having a DWI conviction on your record. But there’s still nothing they can do to prevent a DWI arrest from sucking the night you’re arrested. Here’s the typical routine everyone has to go through during a DWI arrest:
You will be pulled over on the side of the road and taken out of your car. A bunch of other drivers will be going past you, watching you, sometimes honking their horns making fun of you, which sucks. The weather will usually be really cold or really hot. It may start raining. That also sucks. You will be questioned by one or more police officers about every single detail of your evening. No matter what answer you give, they won’t be happy and they won’t let you get back in your car and go home. This also sucks.
- After playing the “20 question game” with the officer, they’ll instruct you to start doing balance and coordination tests. On the side of the road. In bad weather. With other drivers watching. This will also suck. Think back to grade school. Did you enjoy gym class? Were you good at balance and coordination back then? How well do you think you’ll be at balance and coordination late at night, knowing if you don’t do the tests perfectly, you’ll be handcuffed and arrested? If you’re smart, you’ll politely refuse to perform these tests. But most of my clients go ahead and attempt the tests because…well, the officer told them to.
- After all of this is over, the officer will handcuff you behind your back, and put you into a cramped patrol car where cameras will record one of the worsts nights of your life. You may have to use the bathroom. The officer won’t let you. Your arms/legs will start to cramp up. The officer doesn’t care. The officer will quickly read a document to you about your driver’s license that you won’t understand. Your car will be towed. Things are starting to suck a lot now.
- He’ll ask for a breath/blood sample from you. If you refuse, the officer will try to obtain a search warrant authorizing him to take you to a hospital (or the city jail) where a needle will be stuck in your arm, and blood will be taken from you. Do you have thin/thick veins? Do you have an extreme fear of needles? This will suck as well.
- Finally, you will be “booked in” to jail. You will be searched, your clothes and personal items will be taken from you. You’ll be given fancy jail clothing that someone wore the night before you. You’ll eventually be let out of jail, but not until the next morning when a judge tells you how much money you have to pay first.
There’s no question getting arrested for a DWI sucks. If you or a loved one has been arrested for DWI, you need an aggressive and experienced criminal defense team working for you to make sure your rights are protected. Call the attorneys at Hamilton Grant today at (972) 943-8500.