The Consequences Of A Second DWI Offense And The Role Of A DWI Attorney Houston

A DWI offense in itself is a criminal act and committing it for the second and subsequent can lead to severe impacts on the convict both mentally and monetarily. Although the severity of punishment varies from state to state yet the basic penal provisions remain almost same. Hence it is necessary to avoid such typical punishments by hiring the services of an expert professional such as that of a DWI Attorney Houston. There are several online web portals which provide necessary information relating to a second time DWI offense, the probable punishments that can be made to suffer and the ways to get out of such a troublesome situation. Getting in touch with an experienced and capable lawyer is the best to see whether that particular lawyer suits your purpose. A brief idea can be made by browsing through the past track record of the lawyer in handling such similar cases.

MINIMUM MANDATORY PUNISHMENTS
As per the Texas DWI law a second time DWI offense is considered as a class A misdemeanor and it lays down certain mandatory charges and penalties for such offenses. It includes a fine not exceeding $4,000 and a minimum of 2 years’ probation or community supervision. It also lays down that the convict should be sentenced by the Court for a jail term of not less than 72 hours in the county jail but which may extend up to 12 months. It also provides for an installation of the ignition interlock device in the vehicle which requires a sample of the lung air for the vehicle to start. The probation period requires the court to impose 80 hours of community service which may extend up to a time of 200 hours. The suspension of driving license should also be not less than 6 months but which may extend up to 2 years.

IMPOSITION OF PROBATION OR COMMUNITY SUPERVISION
In addition to the laid down penal provisions under the Texas law the court can impose the some other special conditions of community supervision. The convict is required to undergo a DWI Education class within a period of 6 months from the date of conviction. They are also required to complete a minimum of one Victim Impact Panel where the victims of drunken driving case educate the participants of the negative impacts of intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. The convict is not allowed to commit any kind of criminal activity during such period of community supervision or probation. Obtain permission from the probation officer while shifting to a different residence or take up a different employment. The individual convicted of a DWI offense for the second time is also required to obtain an evaluation through the Department of Community Supervision whether any special treatment relating to alcohol or substance abuse is required. A DWI Attorney Houston who is experienced in his field will intervene and try to reduce the time period for community supervision as much as possible and try to restrict the suspension of the driver’s license to 6 months.

INSTALLATION OF AN IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICE
As per the DWI laws in Texas a person convicted of a DWI offense is compulsorily required to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in his car. Accordingly the Court will forward a notice to the TX DPS after which the convict will receive a restricted interlock license having “N” restriction. The time period provided is a maximum of 30 days after which the license will be cancelled by DPS. Before the installation of an IID, the DPS will ensure that the driving license of the convict is not suspended or revoked. The necessary fees for the interlock license i.e. $10 has been paid along with the license reinstatement fee. The IID must have to be installed by an approved device and installation location.