By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist When a Texas law enforcement officer hands you an Intoxilyzer 9000 printout showing a BAC above the legal limit, that number carries enormous weight. Prosecutors treat it as objective science. Juries tend to accept it at face value. But the instrument that produced it operates […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist After a DWI arrest in Texas, most drivers are taken to jail and must post bail before release. Bail amounts vary depending on prior offenses, blood alcohol level, and whether an accident occurred. Courts may impose strict bond conditions, including ignition interlock devices or travel […]
“No Refusal Weekend” is a press release, not a law. There is no Texas statute that creates a special enforcement period called a No Refusal Weekend. There is no provision that grants law enforcement additional powers on Memorial Day that they do not have on a Tuesday in February. What changes on a No Refusal […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Under Texas Penal Code §49.045, driving while intoxicated with a child passenger under 15 years old is automatically charged as a state jail felony even for a first offense, even without an accident, and even without injury. Unlike a standard DWI, which begins as a […]
Yes. About one in 10 DWI arrests in Texas involves no chemical test result at all. The defendant either refused, no test was administered, or the prosecution proceeded on impairment evidence alone. Understanding why requires understanding how Texas defines intoxication because the legal definition is broader than most people realize. How Texas Defines Intoxication Texas […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist If your child was arrested last night for driving after having a drink, you are probably trying to understand something that doesn’t feel right: how can a teenager or college student be charged with a DWI-related offense when they weren’t anywhere close to the adult […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist You take your prescription medication as directed. You drive to the grocery store in the afternoon. You get pulled over. And somehow, by the end of the night, you are in a jail cell facing a DWI charge for taking a drug your doctor prescribed. […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist You refused the breath test. You thought that was the end of it. Twenty minutes later, an officer tells you a judge has signed a warrant and a nurse is going to draw your blood whether you agree or not. This is not uncommon in […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist An accident happens. Someone dies. A blood draw shows a BAC above 0.08. By the time the investigation is complete, a driver who may have had no intent to harm anyone is facing a second-degree felony charge that carries up to 20 years in state […]
By Deandra Grant, J.D., M.S. (Pharmaceutical Science), ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist If you are facing a second DWI charge in Texas, the first thing you need to understand is that the prior offense (even if it happened years ago, even if you received deferred adjudication and thought it was behind you) is now fully back in […]









