Headline Irony: "Former MADD Head Charged With Drunken Driving"

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Dane Johnson

Let's just say the headline struck me as quite ironic.  It seems every other day MADD seems to be cramming some new piece of propaganda or legislation down our throats. 

Let me further say that this woman should be afforded the presumption of innocence and all other constitutional protections just like every other DWI and criminal defendant. 

Unfortunately and ironically, it seems that MADD has and continues to tear away at the presumption of innocence in DWI cases.  Even before a person is convicted of DWI, MADD has pushed legislators to require DWI suspects to install Ignition Interlocks in their vehicles - so much for the presumption of innocence in these cases.

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Houston Police Department Announces Yet Another DWI Enforcement Program

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Dane Johnson

The Houston Police Department has once again announced another Houston DWI Initiative aimed at reducing the number of DWI accidents and DWI fatalities in the Harris County area.  HPD was joined in this announcement by the Harris County District Attorney's Office, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.) and Crime Stoppers.

The stated goal is "to reduce drunk driving accidents and associated fatalities by using a combination of public education and heightened enforcement of drinking and driving offenses."

They are once again touting the HPD Breath Alcohol Testing (BAT) vans.  These are the mobile DWI investigation vans that HPD and other police agencies use to investigate Houston DWI cases.  They drive the vans to various locations around the city to perform breath tests, blood tests and obtain warrants for blood when a citizen refuses to give blood.

By the looks of the crowd, it doesn't seem like many people were too interested in attending the event.

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If Arrested for DWI in Houston, Texas - Can I still Drive?

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Dane Johnson

Assuming that you were driving on a valid Texas Driver's License at the time that you were arrested for DWI, there should be no restriction on your driving privileges immediately after you are arrested for the DWI.  You can legally get in your car and drive as if you were not arrested for DWI.

If you do nothing at all, you will automatically have your Texas driver's license suspended after 40 days.  However, if you request a hearing to contest the automatic suspension of your driver's license within the first 15 days after your DWI arrest, Texas DPS can not suspend your Texas driver's license unless and until you have a hearing on your Texas driver's license.  This hearing on your Driver's License is called an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing.

DPS does on occasion lose or misplace the request for your ALR hearing and DPS has taken the position that it is your responsibility as the person arrested for DWI to "prove" that you made a proper request for an ALR hearing.  Therefore, it is imperative that you hire a competent Houston DWI lawyer to represent you on your DWI and ALR cases.

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