It can be confusing when you’re driving down the road and you suddenly see the flashing lights of a police car behind you. Are those lights for you? What have you even done wrong? Is it safe to stop where you’re at right now? Is that even a police car?

Unfortunately, if you take just a second too long to pull over, the police officer could get frustrated with you. When that happens, you could find yourself with charges of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, regardless of whether or not that was ever your intent.

Georgetown Fleeing an Officer Defense Lawyer

If you’ve been accused of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, you will want to immediately seek legal representation. Michael J. Price will zealously defend your rights against the allegations you face. He can carefully examine all the evidence the police bring forward and all the accusations prosecutors make and fight to get your charges reduced or dismissed.

Fleeing an officer charges often accompany other charges. Michael and Mark can represent you against those charges, too. Call Price & Twine, PLLC today at (512) 354-1880.

Michael J. Price represents clients accused of eluding a police officer and other traffic crimes throughout Williamson and Bell Counties, including in Georgetown, Round Rock, Hutto, Cedar Park, Taylor, Leander, Killeen, Belton, Temple and Harker Heights.


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Elements of Attempting to Elude Police Charges in Texas

The charge of fleeing or attempting to elude an officer is defined in Texas Transportation Code § 545.421. The law says that, to convict a person of the crime, the state must prove that the person, operating a motor vehicle, willfully failed or refused to bring the vehicle to a stop, or fled or attempted to elude a pursuing police vehicle after being given a visual or audible signal to stop the vehicle.

The signal is typically the lights and sirens of a police car, but can be by hand or voice, for instance, if a police officer directing traffic waves you to the side of the road and you allegedly refuse. The office must be in uniform and have the badge prominently displayed. If it is a vehicle attempting to pull you over, it must be a marked, official police vehicle.


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Penalties for Fleeing an Officer in Williamson County

If convicted of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, it is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

However, if the prosecutor proves that you, in the process of attempting to elude, engages in reckless behavior placing another in danger of serious bodily injury, the charges may be upgraded to a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison and a $4,000 fine. Reckless behavior, for this law, may mean that the accused was intoxicated at the time.


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Defenses to Evasion in the Georgetown Area

Charges of fleeing or evading an officer often stem from the police being frustrated with you. They don’t like that they had to chase you at all, even if your intentions were to find a safe place to pull over. Evading charges are often stacked with other charges, or police may bring you in for evading because they chased you and then found no other reason to bring you in.

It’s important to remember that fleeing or evading an officer is a criminal charge. Like any other criminal charge, the prosecutor must prove every element of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. This includes that you acted willfully, which can be particularly difficult to prove. Your Georgetown traffic lawyer can look at the situation and look for holes in the case.


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Price & Twine, PLLC | Round Rock Eluding Police Attorney

If you’ve been charged with fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in Williamson County or Bell County, seek the help of an experienced Georgetown criminal defense lawyer. Call Price & Twine, PLLC today at (512) 354-1880 to schedule a free, confidential consultation.