Avoid Turning a DWI into Other Charges

 Posted on January 01,2021 in Uncategorized

A Texas DWI charge is difficult enough to deal with, for all of a DWI conviction's potential consequences. The lesson here, though, is not to turn a manageable or even beatable DWI charge into something much worse: adding multiple more-serious charges to the DWI violation.

It's an extreme example, but consider: early December 2020 media reports allege that Texas state troopers in Chambers County tried to pull over a vehicle driven recklessly by a Fresno suspect. Prosecutors later filed a DWI charge against the Fresno resident related to his erratic driving. But the DWI charge was only the beginning of the story.

Instead of submitting to arrest, the driver allegedly led the troopers on a high-speed chase ending in the driver's vehicle crash in downtown Beaumont. Media reports that the driver's fruitless flight led to evading-detention and evidence-tampering charges. Flight is not an option. It only adds substantially to the event's risks while leading to additional charges.

But those extra charges still don't end the story. Given the chase and crash, media reports that troopers searched the driver's vehicle, allegedly finding in its trunk the body of a Houston woman for whose strangulation death prosecutors also charged the driver. The sordid saga is an extreme example of a DWI arrest, serious enough on its own, leading to multiple more-serious charges.

Taking Care in Close Encounters

Encountering police who suspect you of any crime presents certain risks. Police must, for their own safety and safety of the public, be vigilant about armed suspects. A stop for a suspected DWI violation, though, can be especially hazardous for everyone, given that the suspect is behind the wheel of a motor vehicle in which anything, whether arms, open alcohol, or a dead body, could be hiding.

Few moments are as stressful as having police pull one over on the highway. The heart pounds, ears ring, breath shortens, hands fumble, and voice shakes, all turning the mind away from its ordinary reason. Yet flight or any reckless or evasive action should never be a DWI suspect's option. Why? In Texas, fleeing or attempting to elude police in a motor vehicle is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine. And if the flight recklessly endangers another with imminent serious bodily injury, Texas law upgrades the charge to a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and $4,000 fine. The same Texas transportation code section presumes that flight while intoxicated is reckless endangerment.

Don't Complicate Things; Get Help

If you face a DWI charge with a related charge, then don't further complicate your legal matter by evading arrest. Instead, get the help of 2021 Houston DWI Lawyer of the Year Doug Murphy. Doug recognizes that police stops confuse and frighten even the well-meaning, leading to poor decisions that under the circumstances seemed reasonable, as when the vehicle operator:

• failed to see or hear the stop signal;
• reasonably doubted the signal was from a police vehicle;
• had a reasonable fear for safety stopping at the signaled location;
• stopped voluntarily at another location as soon as reasonably safe.
• complied fully after a delayed voluntary stop.

As a Board Certified DWI specialist and one of only two Texas lawyers holding both DWI Board Certification and Criminal Law Certification, Doug has the skills and experience to help you deal with DWI-related charges. Contact Murphy & McKinney Law Firm, P.C. online or at 713-229-8333 to discuss your case today. Trust Texas DWI attorney Doug Murphy with the defense not only of DWI but also DWI-related charges.