Any criminal conviction, even a misdemeanor conviction, can have serious consequences, including time in jail and fines. Don’t be misled, misdemeanors are serious. Though less serious than felony offenses, misdemeanor charges can still result in hefty fines, terms of probation of up to two years, and maybe even a lengthy term of incarceration.  Under the Texas Penal Code, there are three types of misdemeanors, whose punishment range as follows:

1. Class “A”- up to 1 year in jail, and a fine up to $4,000.
2. Class “B”- up to 180 days in jail, and a fine up to $2.000.
3. Class “C”- no jail time, a fine up to $500.

Many of the penalties you will face once convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor are “hidden,” seeing that the judge and the prosecutor don’t have to tell you about them. If you do not have a criminal defense lawyer on your side to explain such penalties to you, you may only find out about them after it’s too late.

If you are convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor in Texas, the consequences may include:

• Loss of custody of your children
• Ineligibility for foster care and adoption
• Possible loss of your immigration status and/or deportation
• Registration as a sex offender
• Limited employment opportunities
• Ineligibility for professional licenses (health care, security guard, insurance agent, peace officer, etc.)
• Ineligibility for federal and state assistance (TANF cash assistance, food stamps, public housing, and education grants and loans)
• Eviction by your landlord
• Suspension of your driver’s license
• Greatly increased fees for renewal of your driver’s license
• Increased penalties if you are ever arrested for another crime
• Disqualification from possessing or receiving a handgun or ammunition

If you have been charged with a misdemeanor, you need a criminal defense lawyer willing to fight for you as if it was himself in front of the judge. 

Lowe Law, PLLC can represent and defend you against any Texas misdemeanor charge please visit our contact us page or call us at:  (832) 953-LOWE(5693). I want to help you!

No two DWI cases are the same but there are some consequences that may be expected from typical DWI convictions. Keep in mind that the more DWI arrests you have, the harsher the consequences may be.

For a first offense DWI arrest, you will be charged with a misdemeanor. At a minimum you will face the following:

• A fine of up to $2,000;
• Between 3 and 180 days in jail (possibly more if there are injuries, minors involved, or you give a blood or breath sample of .15 or greater);

• Loss of driver’s license for up to 1 year;
• Yearly fee of at least $1,000 for 3 years to maintain driver’s license;

For a second offense arrest, once again, you will be charged with a misdemeanor. Additional consequences include the following:

• A fine of up to $4,000;
• Up to 1 year in jail;
• Loss of driver’s license for up to 2 years;
• Yearly fee of at least $1,000 for 3 years to maintain driver’s license;

For a third offense arrest, you will probably be charged with a third degree felony. Consequences may include the following:

• A fine of $10,000;
• Between 2 and 10 years in prison;
• Loss of driver’s license for up to 2 years;
• Yearly fee of at least $1,000 for 3 years to maintain driver’s license;

In addition to those mandated consequences, the judge who oversees your case may assess additional penalties. Court appearances are expected, but many people are unaware that they may also be required to complete a probationary period, attend mandatory classes, and undergo an alcohol assessment, all of which may require additional costs. Car insurance fees may also increase significantly, and some insurance companies may not even approve insurance coverage for you because of your DWI conviction. In Texas, a DWI conviction will almost always stay on your record for life.

Houston DWI Lawyers routinely handle (ALR) hearings as part of their client’s DWI defense. Lowe Law, PLLC believes that an ALR hearing should be requested whenever possible. Even if you lose your hearing in administrative court, your lawyer may obtain critical documents and information about your DWI arrest through the driver’s license “discovery” process. These documents and information will help in defending your DWI case in criminal court.

Your request for an ALR hearing must be received by the Texas Department of Public Safety no later than 15 days after you receive or are presumed to have received “Notice of Suspension.” In most cases, this is simply the 15th day after you were arrested.

The notice of suspension is a sheet of paper that usually doubles as your “temporary driving permit.” It should be marked, “DIC-25”, in the upper right-hand corner. The fine print at the bottom of your notice explains how to request an ALR hearing.

You or your lawyer may request an ALR hearing by calling 800-394-9913 or 512-424-2600 on weekdays during normal business hours. You may also send your request via fax at 512-424-2650. Be prepared to tell the clerk your name, driver’s license number, date of your arrest, county of your arrest, the police agency that arrested you, plus certain other information that the clerk may require.

After you have hired a DWI lawyer, make sure that he or she knows that you have requested an ALR hearing if you requested it on your own.