What To Do After A DWI Arrest in Texas?

Things to do after arrest.

There are some things you can do to put yourself in the best possible position of winning a Texas DWI case.

1. Call our office as soon as you get out of jail. Evidence begins to disappear quickly after a DWI arrest. Video tapes may be lost or erased, witnesses may forget information that could help you, and you may begin to forget small details that you do not think are important. The sooner you contact us the better we can guide you in how you can help us prepare the best Texas DWI defense possible for you!
2. Make a list of witnesses. Whether you were with friends at a private party, or were at a restaurant having dinner, independent witnesses can be vital to your defense. As soon as possible you should start making a list of everyone you were with before you were arrested. If you do not know someone’s name, then describe them in your list.
3. Don’t talk to anyone but your attorney. One of the biggest mistakes people make is posting information about their DWI arrest, or their activities before they were arrested. For more information about using social networks, check out our Social Network Warning Page!
4. Collect your receipts. If you have receipts showing what you ate, or how much alcohol you purchased before your arrest make sure to preserve them. These can be important for specific types of DWI defenses, such as rising BAC.
5. Go to the doctor. If you have a medical condition that may affect a DWI breath test result, you should immediately go to your doctor and have that condition documented. You should also provide us with a HIPPA compliant medical release so that we can obtain these records for you.
6. Educate yourself. We have provided you a lot of information and resources on this site to help you understand the Texas DWI process. Read through this site carefully. If you have questions, ask us either by email, or by calling our office. It is important you fully understand your right and obligations. The better you understand why we tell you the things we do, and ask you certain questions, the more helpful you will be in your own defense.
7. Stay focused and be careful. One of the worst things you can do while you have a DWI case pending, is getting arrested for another DWI. Don’t laugh. It happens all the time. When you have a case pending it is important that you are extra careful in everything you do and say, and most importantly DO NOT DRIVE IF YOU HAVE DRANK ALCOHOL while you are on bond.
8. Stay in touch with us while your case is pending. If you change phone number or address be sure to let us know. If we cannot get a hold of you, then we cannot help you to the best of our ability.
9. Make sure you understand the conditions of your bond. All bonds come with some conditions. These are things that you must do, or are prohibited from doing while you are on bond. If you fail to comply with these conditions you may be sent back to jail.
10. Be honest with us. Sometimes people will not want to admit to us that they were drinking, or had done or said something embarrassing or dumb. It’s only human nature. The problem is, however, that we cannot defend you to the best of our ability if we do not know the whole truth. The last thing you or we want is to be surprised with something at trial.