DUI With a Child in Car

It was an ordinary day. You dropped the kids off at soccer or football practice, stopped for lunch with friends and had a couple of drinks, and then picked up the kids to go home. Except this time, you got pulled over by law enforcement and now you’re facing a felony DWI charge: Driving While Intoxicated with Child Passenger. 

At Lee and Wood, LP, our Fort Worth DWI defense attorneys see a lot of moms (and some dads) who have never been in trouble with the law before, never had so much as a parking ticket, who are now facing a felony DWI charge because they had a child under the age of 15 in the car when they were pulled over. 

It doesn’t matter if you’ve ever had a prior DWI. When a child is in the vehicle, a DWI – driving with a blood alcohol level of .08% or more, or not having the normal use of your mental and physical faculties due to consumption of alcohol or drugs – becomes a state jail felony. 

Potential Consequences DUI With Minor in the Car

The potential consequences are more severe. You could face 180 days to 2 years in a state jail, a fine of up to $10,000, and automatic suspension of your drivers’ license for up to 180 days. You’ll have to pay reinstatement fees after drivers’ license suspension. And you’ll have an ignition interlock device attached to your car when you do get it back. 

If you were involved in an accident while drunk driving with a child under 15 in the car, you could also be facing charges of child endangerment. Additionally, Texas Child Protective Services may become involved and attempt to restrict access to your minor children.

You Need a Strong Defense Lawyer

There are many defenses available, and they need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by experienced felony DUI / DWI defense attorneys like Lee and Wood. That means your lawyer will be looking for blood or breath test inaccuracies, medical issues that could have skewed your results, the timing of the test, irregularities with the police stop, or police report errors, among other possibilities.

Get Legal Help to Resolve Your Felony DWI With a Child in Car

Contact Lee and Wood, LP, by calling 817-678-6771 or completing our online contact form. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about how we have successfully defended hundreds of Texas DWI and DUI felony cases in Weatherford, Cleburne, Granbury, Burleson, Stephensville, Decatur, and Fort Worth, Texas.