Behavior You Should Avoid with a Pending DWI Case
Your character is on trial when you are charged with driving while intoxicated. Arguments in a DWI case often come down to whether you seem reliable when you deny having been impaired or intoxicated during your arrest. Your behavior after your arrest and leading up to your court appearance should not contradict your efforts to present yourself as a responsible person. The court is more likely to believe that you decided to drink and drive if you show continued poor judgment. There are four actions that can undermine your DWI defense:
- Talking About Your Case on Social Media: You speak more candidly when having a private conversation with friends than you would in court. You may tell your friends about how much you had to drink and how you felt on the night of your arrest. People mistakenly believe that their social media conversations are private. Anything you write on social media is a digital record that may become public. Prosecutors are monitoring your social media accounts to see if you post anything that may incriminate yourself. If they find something, they will try to present it in court as evidence of your guilt.
- Partying and Drinking: Public drunken behavior will feed the prosecution’s depiction of you as an irresponsible drinker. You are telling the court that you do not respect the seriousness of the DWI charge against you. You also risk being arrested again for an alcohol-related offense, such as public intoxication. You should avoid social outings that include drinking. Even if you do not drink, a picture of you on social media with a group of drunken friends looks bad.
- Driving on a Suspended License: Texas will suspend your driver’s license after your DWI arrest. This is a civil procedure that is independent of the outcome of your criminal case. Police will arrest you if they catch you driving while your license is still suspended. Unlike with a DWI charge, driving with a suspended license is straightforward and difficult to contest.
- Missing Your Court Date: The court may issue a warrant for your arrest if you fail to appear for your scheduled court hearing. You are giving the impression that you are trying to evade your charges, which implies guilt. If your absence was unintentional, you still appear to be irresponsible and disrespectful towards the court and the charge against you.
Proper Behavior
Your public appearance during your DWI case will help people form their opinions about your character. A San Antonio DWI defense attorney at the Law Offices of Sam H. Lock can coach you on how to behave. Schedule your consultation by calling 210-226-0965.
Source:
https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/alr.htm
