By Jeff Kennedy
It’s difficult to determine the exact amount of driving while intoxicated (DWI) dismissals in Texas. For one thing, this information has not been tracked before. For another, there are many charges that are dismissed when a person pleads guilty to a different offense. It’s difficult to analyze DWI dismissal rates, but it’s much easier to analyze conviction rates.
In Texas, conviction rates for DWIs are between 70 and 80 percent. Those numbers are not in your favor. If you try fighting a DWI on your own, your chances of receiving a dismissal will likely drop. If you plead guilty to a DWI, that crime will be on your criminal record to stay.
What Should You Do if Charged with a DWI in Texas?
Now that you know most DWIs that are charged do result in a conviction, do you want to be in the conviction column or the dismissal column? Although the numbers aren’t in your favor, that doesn’t mean you can’t receive a dismissal. The Law Offices of Jeff C. Kennedy have helped many clients receive dismissals, charge reductions, or not-guilty verdicts.
Your chances of obtaining a favorable outcome for your DWI increase when you work with a DWI lawyer. Give one a call to learn how they can help you.
Possible Defenses against a DWI Conviction
It’s common for people to believe that once they’re charged with a DWI, they are as good as convicted. But that simply isn’t true. There are many instances in which people are charged with a DWI and the charge is later dropped, dismissed, or reduced.
For instance, if you are charged with a crime but there’s not enough evidence to convict you, the prosecution could decide to drop the charges against you.
Or, let’s say the police pulled you over illegally. Your case could be thrown out due to the fact that your rights were violated.
Or, what if the field sobriety tests that were used as evidence against you were defective? Your lawyer could prove to a court that the evidence is weak. This could lead to a not-guilty verdict in court.
There are a number of defenses your lawyer could use when you’ve been charged with a DWI. Here is a list of potential defense options:
- Innocence
- Not enough evidence to convict
- The police violated your rights
- Faulty field sobriety tests
- Not over the legal limit
- The lab made errors
- Police made procedural errors
Speak with a Texas DWI Lawyer Now
Most people plead guilty to DWI charges because they think that is the easiest thing to do. They don’t consider the fact that a DWI on their criminal record could make their life much more difficult. People often do what’s easy in the short-term, not realizing how badly that decision will affect them in the long-term.
You don’t have to make that same mistake. Talk to a Texas DWI attorney to learn your options. The Law Offices of Jeff C. Kennedy can be reached through the internet form below or by calling 817-605-1010.