What to do DWI arrest in Houston

1. How Much Can a DWI Cost in Texas? Anyone in the state of Texas who has faced a DWI charge knows that the process can be extremely expensive; however, many people who are dealing with a DWI case for the first time are surprised by how much something like this can cost. The costs for a first-time charge can be upwards of $15,000 to $20,000 or more. Are you wondering how much can a DWI cost in Texas? Answer is, a lot. The very first step in the process is to hire an experienced attorney that focuses on DWI cases. Fees for an attorney vary. The actual cost, however, will depend on any number of different factors, such as the following: *Fee structures for the attorney *Background/experience *Exact details of your case *Need for experts If the case is not dismissed or a judge/jury decides that the defendant is guilty, the court system in Texas can also charge various fines, penalties, and other costs for someone facing a DWI. These potentially include the following: *Court costs *Court-imposed fines *Texas Driver Responsibility Program Fees –Driver’s License Surcharge Some of the surcharge costs include the following:

2. *$1,000 yearly fee for first time offenders (not totaling more than $3,000) *$1,500 annual fee for second time offenders (not totaling more than $4,500) *$2,000 yearly fee for anyone convicted of a DWI with a blood alcohol content of more than 0.15 (not totaling more than $6,000) Other fees that can be charged include the following: *Monthly probation fees *Alcohol education program fees *Interlock ignition switch cost *Assessment fees *Counseling or treatment fees When a judge sets a bond in a DWI case, the defendant can take advantage of the bail bond system employed by Texas. This will allow the defendant to get released once they post a certain amount of money as collateral rather than stay in jail. Bail bondsman can put the money up for a fee that typically ranges from 10-15% of the bond amount. The total amount of money required will depend on the following factors: *Past DWI conviction record *Other convictions on record that suggests the defendant could be dangerous *The willingness of the defendant to submit to blood alcohol content testing *Aggravating offenses committed by the defendant during the DWI Vehicle insurance costs apply in DWI cases as well. If convicted, a defendant must pay for an insurance policy for two years that provides the minimum required amount of coverage under Texas law. These include the following amounts: *$30,000 for bodily injury or death of an individual in an accident *$60,000 for bodily injury or death of more than one individual in an accident *$25,000 for property damage in an accident Thank you for visiting the Collin Evans’ Criminal Lawyer Houston blog, a suspended license attorney Houston. We write to inform you of law changes, news and events. We hope this answered how much can a DWI cost in Texas. You can learn more about DWI’s on our website.