Public Intoxication

Associated Charges in DWI Cases

Dallas County DWI Lawyers Experienced in Public Intoxication Defense

In many DWI cases, police will charge the driver, the passenger, or both with additional charges of public intoxication. This seemingly minor offense can have serious ramifications for your present predicament and for the future.

The criminal defense lawyers of Christopher N. Hoover, P.C. can explain the consequences of a public intoxication conviction and vigorously fight the charges. Our firm handles only DWI and related matters, serving clients throughout Dallas County and Collin County. Call our attorneys at (1-888-252-4DWI) for a free consultation.

Public Intoxication: A Nifty Police Tactic

The public intoxication statute refers to persons so drunk that they are a danger to themselves or others. It usually is applied to a person who is drunk in public and causing a disturbance or a potential public safety threat.
In a traffic stop resulting in a DWI arrest, police often cite the passengers for public intoxication. This serves several purposes:

• If police want to put a passenger in jail, the public intoxication (P.I. in police lingo) charge prevents that person from posting bond or bail. Most jails will hold the person for at least 4 to 12 hours.
  
• If the officer doesn't want a passenger to call a cab, they will take that person to jail as well by charging P.I.
  
• By alleging that a spouse or other passenger was exceedingly drunk, prosecutors can discredit that person as a potentially exonerating witness at trial.

Public intoxication is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a maximum fine up to $500. But it is more serious than people are led to believe. Your choice is to fight the charge in a jury trial or plead guilty and have a criminal conviction on your record - and that conviction can haunt you in many ways:

• If a person convicted of public intoxication is later charged with DWI in another incident, the P.I. is essentially considered as a prior ETOH related offense. In many counties, judges will order that a deep lung air device (ignition interlock) be installed in the car as a condition of release from jail or condition of probation.
  
• Any minor (under age 21) convicted of public intoxication can have his or her license suspended for 30 days on a first. In Texas, any detectable amount of alcohol in the system of an underage driver constitutes DUI, and any alcohol in the system of an underage passenger is often considered public intoxication.

As you now can see, it may be critical to fight a charge of public intoxication. Contact Christopher N. Hoover, P.C. to protect your rights, your criminal record, and your driving privileges. Call 1-888-252-4DWI, 24 hours a day, for a FREE consultation. Credit cards accepted.