Don't Flush Your Life Down the Toilet Without a Fight.
We're Here to Fight Your DWI in Spring.
Were you pulled over or arrested for a DWI in Spring?
One of the first things most of our clients tell us when they reach out for their free consultation is that dealing with a DWI charge is among the most difficult times of their lives.
DWI stands for Driving While Intoxicated. It's a criminal charge that occurs when a person is caught operating a car, truck, etc. with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level of 0.08% or more.
Otherwise upstanding citizens who get charged for DWIs find that their reputation means nothing when going up against the state of Texas and Harris County's court system. Judges are often unfriendly to those who have been charged, because it seems like such a common sense rule to break - don't drink and drive.
Despite offenders being treated harshly, it is one of the most common crimes committed by Spring residents, and it's nothing worth losing your financial, mental, and physical health over. Michael & Associates is on your side to help you keep your sanity in this difficult time.
DWIs Are Costly and Can Lead to Jail Time
If you think the judge will see your record of community service or your good standing in the city and let you off with a warning, you're sorely mistaken. The penalties for DWIs in Spring and the rest of the county are severe. This is especially true if you're a repeat offender. Take a look at the possible penalties for yourself:
Your 1st Offense:
- Up to $2000 in fines
- 3 to 180 days in jail
- Suspension of driver's license for up to a year
2nd Offense:
- Up to $2000 in fines
- 1 to 12 months in jail
- Suspension of driver's license for up to two years
3rd+ Offense:
- Up to a $10,000 fine
- 2 to 10 years in prison
- Suspension of driver's license for up to two years
- A felony on your criminal record
Think that's bad enough? If you're caught with a minor in your car while driving drunk, you can face even steeper penalties for endangering their lives.
One Mistake Doesn't Mean Your Life Is Over
Some people throw in the towel when they get a DWI. They might be getting eaten away at by the guilt or they may simply feel overwhelmed by the consequences of the charge.
Not only are the previously listed criminal penalties possible, you can also suffer further financial and social ones. You can lose your driver's license or at the very least deal with higher insurance rates. If you have a felony on your record, you might find it hard to find a place to work at.
While it can be hard to feel any sense of hope during this time, you shouldn't give up. If you find a strong defense team, you not only have a fighting chance to reduce your charges, you can possibly get the case dismissed outright.
Why Is Michael & Associates Your Best Option for a Strong DWI Defense?
Simply because we have been around the block. At Michael & Associates, we have been fighting DWI cases throughout Texas for almost ten years. We have handled hundreds of cases with most of them resulting in wins for our clients via reduced charges or case dismissals.
Not only are we seasoned pros, but we have a delicate touch when it comes to looking after our clients. We only take on the number of clients we can give our full attention and effort to, so you know you're a priority with us. We'll fight as hard as we possibly can just for you.
You can find cheaper options in Spring, but you won't get the same results or level of attention. Instead, you'll get an overworked, stressed out attorney who only views you as a stepping stone to getting his or her paycheck. You won't have your calls returned nor will you get the results you want.
Michael & Associates will walk you through step-by-step for your legal defense plan. You will know what's going on and what your best options are for fighting your charges. You're in good hands with us.
If you want to win come your court date, fill out the contact form to schedule a free case review. We'll get started on formulating the best defense immediately.
GET A FREE CASE REVIEW
If you've been charged with a DWI, you have 15 days before you lose your license. Fill out the form below and we'll be in touch in a few minutes.
Recent DWI Cases
Case Dismissed
Charge: Driving While Intoxicated
Allegations: Police pulled our client over after he was caught running a red light. The client had been coming home from an out of town work conference and had stopped at his favorite bar when he returned to Spring. Unfortunately, he'd had a little too much to drink, failed his breathalyzer, and was taken to the police station.
Result: We got his case dismissed after we filed a motion to suppress illegally obtained evidence.
Charges Reduced
Charge: Driving While Intoxicated, 2nd Offense
Allegations: Our client had been convicted of her first DWI in the spring of 2018. She had had too much to drink at a party and tried to sleep in the driver's seat of her car when a squad car passing by found her.
Result: We were able to get her case dismissed entirely.
Case Dismissed
Charge: Driving Under the Influence
Allegations: Our client thought he was sober after waiting an hour after drinking. He was caught nodding off at a stop sign and taken in by the police for a blood test that he failed.
Result: We got his case dismissed entirely after we found evidence of the officer making multiple errors in the handling of our client's arrest.
How a DWI Conviction Affects Auto Insurance Rates
In Spring, the average annual cost of car insurance is $876. For drivers with DWI convictions, the average annual cost of auto insurance is $1,261, an increase of $385.
Breakdown by Gender
| Without DWI Conviction | $900 | $864 |
| With DWI Conviction | $1,296 | $1,244 |
| Increase | $396 | $380 |
Breakdown by Age
| Without DWI Conviction | $1,452 | $780 | $792 | $726 | $660 | $660 |
| With DWI Conviction | $2,091 | $1,123 | $1,140 | $1,045 | $950 | $950 |
| Increase | $639 | $343 | $348 | $319 | $290 | $290 |
Don't Let a DWI Increase your Insurance Cost
Frequently Asked Questions
About Michael & Associates
If you go to your average attorney's office, the only benefit you'll receive over us is that they may be a little bit cheaper. However, this initial lower fee will turn into higher amounts later when you have to pay steeper penalties. Why? The other guys don't have nearly the same level of experience and expertise that we do at Michael & Associates.
We take pride in our work. We have a high win rate and we provide the highest quality client service in town.
We're able to provide a level of hands-on service that the other firms can't, because we set hard limits to the number of cases we take on all at once. We don't overload our team to maximize profits. Instead, we take only the amount we can handle while assuring each client gets quality time with Ben Michael himself.
Part of this quality time involves having access to Ben's personal cell phone number. He wants his clients to be able to reach them whenever they need to, so you can text him day or night. Have a question about possible penalties at 3am? Send it his way.
Ben is happy to walk you through every detail of your DWI battle. Not only that, but he's there for support as this can be one of the most stressful moments in a person's life due to the threat of possible jail time coupled with high financial penalties.
Michael & Associates will take on nearly every type of felony and misdemeanor criminal charge in Spring and Harris county, including the following:
- DUI / DWI
- Possession of a Controlled Substance
- Assault & Battery
- Family Violence
- Domestic Abuse
We regret to say that we do not do:
- Traffic Law
- Family Law
- Immigration Law
- Civil Law
Driving While Intoxicated in Spring
In Spring, Harris County, and all over the rest of Texas, you can get charged with a DWI for having a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08% or higher.
BAC is the legal and scientific measurement for the amount of alcohol that your blood is made up of as of the time of testing. For example, if you take a breathalyzer or blood test after having a few drinks and have a percentage of 0.09%, you would be forbidden to drive legally as you have too much alcohol in your system to do so safely.
Have you ever heard old folk sayings about how to best consume alcohol? Some people say you're fine to drive if you've only had x or y amount of beers and shots. This isn't true. How much a person can handle without going over the legal limit is too difficult to predict due to a variety of factors like size, age, alcohol tolerance, number of drinks, strength of each drink, and if you have enough food in your system. The best bet is to stay out of the driver's seat until you're 100% sure of your sober state.
In Spring, TX, you can be given these penalties depending on the number of previous offenses you have.
If it's someone's first offense:
- Up to a $2,000 fine
- Up to 180 days in jail with at least three being mandatory
- Loss of driver's license for up to 12 months
If it's someone's second offense:
- Up to a $4,000 fine
- One month to a year in jail
- Loss of driver's license for up to 24 months
If it's someone's third, fourth, fifth, etc. offense:
- A $10,000 fine
- Two to ten years in prison
- Loss of driver's license up to 24 months
Additional penalties apply if you were driving with a minor, which include:
- Additional fines up to $10,000
- Up to two years in jail
- An additional year and a half of driver's license suspension
While there is no cheat code or surefire way to avoid a DWI, you can take these precautions to ensure you have the best chances of avoiding a DWI or at least a stronger chance contesting it in the Harris County court system.
The number one rule when dealing with the police in any situation is to be polite and, within the scope of your rights, obedient. Assume you're being filmed and be the best representation of yourself you can be.
You don't have to answer every question as you'll see in this explanation, but you need to do as your told when it comes to showing documents and following the orders of a warrant.
When the police order you to pull over, safety is your first priority and speed is your second. Once you're on the side of the road or somewhere else out of traffic's way, the officer will approach your car and ask you to show your license, registration, and proof of insurance. Inform him or her of their location and slowly move to retrieve them after you know it's safe to do so.
The officer will ask if you know why you've been pulled over. This is a situation where honesty isn't the best policy. If you say you know you're possibly at the legal BAC limit or higher, informing the officer will hurt your chances of having a successful time in court. The officer might have even pulled you over for a broken tail light, so further incriminating yourself is a bad idea. It's within your rights to answer with a simple "no ma'am" or "no sir."
If the officer suspects you of being intoxicated or observed you swerving, driving erratically, etc., they may administer either a breathalyzer or field sobriety test. If you're not 100% sure you will succeed, politely refuse it. Let the officer know you're not comfortable taking any tests without contacting your lawyer first for advice.
If you seem intoxicated in any way, the officer may arrest you and take you into the police station for BAC testing. At this point, if you refuse to do a breathalyzer or blood test, it may result in a license suspension. However, if you fail the tests, you could also end up losing your license anyway. Whether you pass or not, your attorney will be by your side to help you battle any issues that arise.
If you've refused all the tests, you may still be forced to take one if an officer can obtain a warrant, but this takes so much time that it may result in your BAC going down to the legal limit.
Never incriminate yourself. The best strategy for this is to just remain quiet during questioning. Speak with your lawyer the first chance you get.
You could be hit with the absolute maximum penalty for each category if you do not fight. In short, yes, you should fight it. Challenging the charges in any sort of way gives you a much better chance of having your case dismissed or having your charges reduced. Instead of paying the full amount, you may only have to pay a small fine. Instead of a year and a half in jail, you may only have to serve three days.
Helpful Locations for Spring Residents
Spring Courthouse
(713) 274-6550
6831 Cypresswood Dr
Spring, TX 77379
jp.hctx.net
Spring Police Department
(281) 891-6911
420 Lockhaven Dr
Houston, TX 77073
springisd.org
Alcohol Treatment Facility
(281) 288-8191
24307 Aldine Westfield Rd #0
Spring, TX 77373
aahouston.org
Department of Motor Vehicles
(281) 517-1620
4740 Spring Cypress Rd #100
Spring, TX 77379
dps.texas.gov