What is going to happen when you get arrested for DWI
If you were arrested for DWI in Tarrant County it is very important for you to request a driver license suspension hearing. This has to do with Administrative License Revocation (ALR), a civil administrative process totally separate and unrelated to the criminal proceedings for a DWI arrest. You must do this within 15 days of your arrest or your license cannot be saved.
Regarding your prosecution for DWI you have a little time. It generally takes Tarrant County 1-2 months to send you your court date. The date will be within 2-3 weeks of the date of the letter.
It is important to emphasize, YOU MUST ATTEND ALL COURT SETTINGS. This is for both preliminary and final disposition settings.
You can choose whether to give up or fight your DWI. The only way to fight is set your case for trial. A plea bargain agreement is admitting that you are guilty of the charge of DWI.
If you set your case for trial, you may have two or more "contest dockets" to determine whether you will be selected for trial the following week. Generally, jury selection is done on Friday and trial begins Monday morning. Some cases may be set later in the following week.
In some cases, the District Attorney may offer another way to avoid a DWI conviction by charging you with a different crime (Obstruction of Roadway). This guarantees that you won't have a DWI conviction. They also afford the opportunity for you to expunge the DWI records and seal the Obstruction to all Internet searchers except for law enforcement.
You should look for an attorney who is familiar with Tarrant County practices and who has had success at defending DWI cases. There are many "ex-prosecutors" now who may not have defended a DWI case and there is a significant difference.
Good luck with your case.
