Waco DWI Attorneys

Waco and McLennan County have their own enforcement landscape, their own courts, and their own prosecution approach. DWI arrests in the area come from Waco PD, the McLennan County Sheriff’s Office, DPS troopers, and the departments serving Hewitt, Woodway, Bellmead, Lorena, and the other cities across McLennan County which all feed into the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office and a single courthouse.

Deandra Grant Law’s Waco office is located at 605 Austin Ave., Suite 5 which is across the street from the McLennan County Courthouse at 501 Washington Ave. Managing Partner Deandra Grant has been defending DWI cases for more than 30 years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Pharmaceutical Science and the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist designation. Partner Douglas Huff holds the same designation.

How Waco DWI Cases Actually Work

Both misdemeanor and felony DWI cases in McLennan County are heard at the McLennan County Courthouse, 501 Washington Ave., Waco, TX 76701. Misdemeanor DWI cases are heard in the County Courts at Law. Felony DWI cases (third or subsequent offenses, DWI with a child passenger, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter) go to the district courts in the same building.

Blood draw analysis.  Blood draws in Waco DWI cases are typically sent to Texas DPS crime labs for analysis. The specific DPS lab used may vary depending on case type and capacity. In alcohol DWI cases, the analysis uses headspace gas chromatography. In drug impairment cases, specimens may be sent to the DPS Austin lab, Armstrong Forensic Laboratory, or NMS for drug identification and quantification. The laboratory’s methodology, chain of custody documentation, preservative adequacy, and analyst qualifications are all subject to forensic examination.

The ALR hearing (the administrative license revocation proceeding that runs parallel to the criminal case) must be requested within 15 days of notice of suspension. Missing that deadline means an automatic suspension regardless of the criminal outcome. The ALR hearing is also a strategic asset: sworn testimony from the arresting officer taken at the ALR creates a record that can be used in the criminal case.

DWI Penalties in Texas

First DWI (Class B Misdemeanor)

Up to 180 days in county jail, fine up to $2,000, license suspension up to one year. Deferred adjudication is not available for DWI in Texas.

Second DWI (Class A Misdemeanor)

30 days to one year in jail, fine up to $4,000, license suspension up to two years. A 30-day mandatory minimum jail sentence applies even when probation is granted.

Third DWI (Third Degree Felony)

2 to 10 years in prison, fine up to $10,000, license suspension up to two years. The first offense level at which a DWI becomes a permanent felony conviction.

DWI with a Child Passenger (State Jail Felony)

180 days to 2 years in state jail, fine up to $10,000. A child under 15 in the vehicle triggers this enhancement regardless of the driver’s BAC.

Intoxication Assault (Third Degree Felony)

2 to 10 years, fine up to $10,000.

Intoxication Manslaughter (Second Degree Felony)

2 to 20 years, fine up to $10,000. Under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 42.0375 (“Bentley’s Law”), if the deceased was the parent of a minor child, the court must order monthly child support restitution for that child until they turn 18 or graduate high school. Learn more about intoxication manslaughter and Bentley’s Law.