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Does a DWI Arrest Make You a Criminal?

By: Robert Thomson

If you find yourself getting stopped at night after taking a drink you have to be concerned about DWI or driving while intoxicated. Some states refer to this criminal charge as DUI or driving under the influence. Nonetheless, either distinction is the same infraction. Each state sets its own tolerances in blood-alcohol level for DWI. It's no secret that due to the large media around traffic accidents with alcohol states, continue to examine their threshold for blood-alcohol levels. The end result is that the laws are becoming stricter. It is possible to reach a blood-alcohol level after only two drinks depending on the state.

Houston, Texas is a place that I am familiar with as this is my place of residence. In this city there are no less than four different types of police entities to include: police department, sheriffs, constables, and state troopers. Thus, it is possible to be arrested from many sources. A Houston DWI attorney I spoke with informed me that the number of arrests is staggering. Further, DWI is considered to be a criminal offense and yet many of the people who suffer from these charges we would not consider as "every day criminals".

An interesting point to think about is if we know of any person that has been arrested for DWI. My guess is that most of us know of someone that has been arrested. Many people make a mistake coming home from a Christmas party, birthday party, etc. As humans we learn from our mistakes. Most offenders that I know of are extremely cautious about drinking and transportation since their DWI experience. Several of the people I know are good fathers, good mothers, and good citizens. This is perfectly fine as we all make mistakes.

An issue that the media is pointing out now is repeat DWI offenders. This social issue has merit and is important to the community. Alcohol is a drug in our society where many people have issues with. I have seen people on the news getting their third and fourth arrests while creating a terrible traffic accident with fatalities. The repeat offenders related to DWI certainly bring to light a serious safety issue on our streets.

About the author

John Cavers is a consultant for Grant Scheiner, a Houston DWI criminal lawyer. Grant focuses his legal practice on defending clients accused of criminal charges. Grant also stays busy as the primary writer for the Greater Houston Criminal Defense Attorney Blog discussing legal issues in criminal law.

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