Being charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Texas is a serious enough situation on its own. When you factor in someone who drives commercially for a living, that person could be facing the loss of their livelihood and the chance at a bright future. Additionally, the legal limit for a CDL driver is lower, making it easier to be charged with DWI even after just one drink. An experienced Georgetown DWI defense attorney can help protect your rights while fighting hard to protect your way of life and your future.
Georgetown Commercial DWI Defense Lawyer
A DWI offense can seriously impact your social, educational, and especially if you are a commercial motor vehicle driver, occupational opportunities. Price & Twine, PLLC will fight to protect your future using skills backed by decades of combined experience in defending alleged criminal offenders like you in Georgetown and the surrounding areas.
If you have been charged with commercial DWI in Central Texas, contact the experienced attorneys at Price & Twine, PLLC Your first consultation is free, so call (512) 354-1880 to find out what we can do for your commercial DWI case today.
Texas Commercial Vehicles and DWI
Commercial motor vehicles, or CMVs, are not just limited to 18-wheelers or vehicles that may only be operated with a proper Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), though the latter is a relatively reliable indicator. A CMV may also include a city or school bus or a truck with a trailer that is not an 18-wheeler. Texas law defines a commercial motor vehicle as one or a combination of motor vehicles used to transport people or property that meets one or more of the following requirements:
- Transporting materials that are hazardous
- Designed to transport 16 or more passengers, driver included
- Gross vehicle weight or gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 26,000 pounds
- Gross vehicle weight and/or rating of 26,001 or more pounds includes a towed unit of 10,000 pounds or more
If you drive a commercial motor vehicle for a living, it is much easier to get pulled over and charged with DWI than if you are driving a regular vehicle. Under Texas law, any CMV driver who has a BAC of .04 or higher is considered to be a DWI offender. The legal limit for drivers operating motor vehicles that are not CMVs is .08.
Penalties for Georgetown Commercial DWI
There are two forms of punitive consequences facing a commercial driver when charged with DWI. The first set of penalties are the same DWI consequences a regular DWI offender faces. A first-time, simple DWI conviction in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor. This comes with up to 180 days in jail and up to a $2,000 fine. A DWI with a BAC of .15 is upgraded to a Class A misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and up to a $4,000 fine.
The second penalty has to do with suspension of your driver’s license – CDL and regular – for a one-year period. The following circumstances could result in the loss of your license and your way of life for a year:
- Refusal to submit to a BAC test
- First conviction of DWI alcohol or drugs
- BAC or urine test showed an alcohol level of .04 or higher while operating a CMV
- BAC or urine test showed an alcohol level of .08 or higher while operating a regular motor vehicle
Price & Twine, PLLC | Commercial DWI Attorney in Williamson County
If you have been charged with commercial DWI in Williamson County, Bell County, or the surrounding areas, don’t lose your livelihood to a conviction. Contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys in Georgetown at Price & Twine, PLLC.
We will work hard to protect your rights and your future. Call (512) 354-1880 for a free, confidential consultation to explore your legal options.