Driving while impaired (DWI) can land you in trouble – you may pay fines, go to jail or lose your driver’s license. In Texas, you can be charged with this offense if you are caught driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher or as soon as alcohol or drugs negatively affects your driving.
Before you can be convicted, law enforcement must gather evidence to build a case against you. They can do this by asking questions and administering tests. Your actions may, however, make their work easier. You may knowingly or unknowingly incriminate yourself. Here’s what you should avoid:
Talking to the police
Most of the questions police officers ask at a DWI stop are designed to get the driver to admit to drunk driving. These include, “Have you been drinking?” and “How much have you had to drink?”
Answering these questions may not be the best move. If you say no, and the Breathalyzer test proves otherwise, you may face an additional criminal charge for lying to the police. If you say yes, you are technically admitting to the offense – even if you try to minimize the issue by claiming you only had a beer or two.
Consider responding with something like, “Officer, I prefer not to answer any questions without legal representation present,” to any questions not directly related to your identifying information.
Discussing your case on social media
Forgo posting about your experiences online. If you need to vent, it’s better to do it in private. Anything you say on social media could potentially find its way back into court. Saying the wrong thing can limit or discredit your defense if it contradicts anything else you may claim.
If you are facing a DWI charge, consider legal guidance. That’s the best way to get a favorable resolution to your case.