Reader’s Question:

A friend of mine was accused of DWI here in Houston, Texas and I was surprised that he was charged with two separate crimes. If in case I get arrested for DWI, what do you think is the best thing that I should do?

David

Houston, TX

If in case you are stopped for driving while intoxicated or DWI in Houston, Texas, you just have to be polite to the police officer. You have to cooperate with what the officer asks you to do because it would be against your own interests to be rude or uncooperative. You could find yourself in this situation and your background (apart from any previous DWI offenses) would have no relevance, but your behavior when stopped would definitely be much relevant.

The basic limit of blood alcohol is 0.08% and if you have a blood alcohol test result above the legal level, you have to cooperate and try to take any subsequent tests. The state of Texas has an “implied consent” law, which means that when you obtained your driver’s license, you implicitly agreed to take a blood alcohol test if you are suspected of DWI. If you refuse to take the breath or blood alcohol test, it could be treated as a separate crime and your driver’s license could be suspended for a year and it could be viewed as admitting your own guilt.