TheWillard Hall Firm

DWI DEFENSE

A personal message to those accused of 'Drunk Driving'.
    Because you found my website, I know right now you are feeling confused, angry and somewhat fearful about what may happen to you in our legal system.

YOUR CASE IS NOT HOPELESS! EVEN IF THERE IS A BREATH TEST, A BLOOD TEST, A VIDEO, AN ACCIDENT, A MINOR IN THE VEHICLE, EVEN IF SOMEONE WAS TRAGICALLY KILLED OR INJURED, ALL IS NOT LOST.

WARNING: If you are arrested for a DWI type of offense in Texas, you only have 15 days from the date of your arrest to request a hearing on your driving license suspension. YOU MUST ACT NOW. A knowledgeable lawyer can take immediate steps to keep you on the road. Even if you have waited too long, my firm can petition the court in your behalf to get a drivers license for purposes of essential need.

Many innocent people convicted of DWI
    Did you know that legal scholars have estimated that more innocent people have been convicted of 'drunk driving', or DWI than any other crime? (National College of DUI/DWI Defense Counsel website)

Make no mistake about it, DWI is a serious charge.
    Even a first offense DWI conviction will ruin your reputation for 'sobriety'. It can cause your character and reputation for 'exercising sound judgement' to be legitimately questioned for the rest of your life. It can involve jail; house arrest (called 'probation or community supervision'); suspension of driving privileges; thousands dollars in drivers license renewal surcharges; thousands of dollars in increased insurance premiums; the termination from many kinds of jobs; loss of work licenses; the inability to secure car rentals at airports; greatly diminished credit scores, and a difficult lifetime of shocking 'surprises' up ahead.
    A second offense DWI can involve all of the above plus jail for up to one year or 'house arrest' (community supervision) and breath interlocks on your cars. A third offense over a life-time can involve a prison sentence for up to ten years. A traffic accident where people are slightly hurt can be a Felony DWI involving a prison sentence. A routine traffic stop of a mother who just picked up her first grader from school can land the mother in prison if she was taking headache medicine for migraines. Many, many people are taking 'medicine' for this and that, but the drug companies are failing to adequately warn about the potential for a DWI.

The Role of Politics in DWI Charges
    Today it is a bad mistake to take a DWI charge lightly. Extremely prominent special interest groups will monitor the progress of your DWI case as it moves through the courts. DWI is very unique in our justice system in that it is the ONLY crime that has these groups bearing down on public officials in well-organized campaigns. These campaigns extend from the national, state, to even the 'most local' level possible. For example, it is not unusual for group members to ride on 'citizen patrols' reporting possible DWI drivers. (Maybe they reported you!) It is not unusual to see them riding in police patrol cars that target DWI. It is not unusual to see members attending sessions of court to make certain local officials prosecute a DWI Defendant to the maximum extent possible. It is typical for these groups to throw banquets and parties for peace officers and prosecutors. It is typical for these groups to hand out awards to the officer who makes the most DWI arrests or the prosecutor who gets the worst sentence possible to a DWI offender. It is typical to see these awards and plaques hanging on the walls of the prosecutor's office. Several years ago, one local official complained to me that the special interests 'had the whole courthouse running scared'. Neighbor, with that kind of political pressure, DWI is not the kind of case where it is wise to 'go at it alone'.

Most lawyers don't know how to handle DWI cases
    The leading legal experts have written: DWI "...is the most commonly committed crime in the United States. Yet, it is almost always committed by a noncriminal - that is, by an otherwise respectable citizen who has never been in trouble with the law. Consequently, representation of the defendant is often attempted by attorneys not versed in criminal law... Common, though drunk driving cases are in our courts, it represents one of the most difficult criminal offenses to understand and to litigate." Taylor and Oberman, Drunk Driving Defense, 6th Ed., Sec. 1.01 (2006).

Some things you need to know right now:

  1. Do not be mislead by the many DWI Myths First, you are going to have to get experienced legal representation and you must move very quickly. If you have been arrested for DWI, you have only 15 days from the date of your DWI arrest to ask for a hearing on your ALR drivers License Suspension If you do not have the money to hire an attorney yet, you may go directly to that part of this website where I have a Free ALR Form for you to get the process started. If you have waited too long, I still can petition the court for an 'Essential Need' driving license that can still allow you to drive so you can still take care of your family's needs.

  2. Most lawyers do not know how to handle DWI cases, but I do. In fact, I do not think there is a dispute about it, my firm is 'the premier' DWI law firm in the entire 11 county region of Southeastern Texas. In fact, there are not many law firms in the entire State of Texas, if not the United States, that have had the DWI experience of my firm. Although past experience is not a predictor of results, consider the following as a measure of experience:

    • FACT: Willard Hall has handled hundreds and hundreds, possibly even thousands of DWI cases since DWI was criminalized in 1983.

    • FACT: Willard Hall is one of only 100 original founding members of the National College of DUI/DWI Defense Counsel (By invitation, 1995).

    • FACT: Willard Hall has had 'not guilty' jury verdicts in many DWI cases.

    • FACT: Willard Hall has had 'not guilty' jury verdicts in breath test cases involving one, two and even three times the .080 legal limit. (Many lawyers are loathe to take on a breath-test case, thinking it is impossible to win them).

    • FACT: Willard Hall has had 'wins' in many ALR Drivers License Suspension cases. (Many Lawyers are loathe to tackle ALR aspects.)

    • FACT: Willard Hall knows his science, including the 'weak spots' in alcohol testing. I keep the leading scientific studies at my office for reference.

    • FACT: Willard Hall has the scientific studies that prove the alcohol testing instrument can and does make mistakes, whether it is the Intoxilizer 5000 or the Hospital Blood Testing Instrument.

    • FACT: Willard Hall is the only lawyer in Southeastern Texas who owns his own Intoxilizer 5000 Model 6800 breath testing instrument of the type used by all police agencies in Texas.

    • FACT: Willard hall has successfully defended all types of blood test cases, including hospital blood tests.

  3. My firm gives great Customer Service. You will notice that my staff knows what it is doing. That's because I employ only the best and brightest people available. I train them according to very high professional standards. I pay them very well. My staff works in a professional, happy and casual work environment. The professional attitude on the part of my staff will make you feel better about your case, more confident, with the realization that everything that can be done will be done . I am not the only person impressed with my staff. It's the total impression of all the clients who have ventured into my office over many years. How can I say that with confidence? My firm routinely uses customer service surveys to gage our client's response to our firm's total service. In the vast majority of cases, our clients rate our services as better than simply good but superior in overall job performance. I know this is largely due to the dedicated members of my professional staff, some of whom such as my para-legal, have been with me for over 16 years. My para-legal is the best DWI investigator and jury consultant in the business, bar none.

Free, Free, Free
Are you temporarily out of money but want help in Asking for Your ALR Driver License Suspension? Do not delay, you only have 15 days from the date of your DWI arrest to ask for an ALR hearing! If you have no money to hire a lawyer and need assistance, protect your drivers license by downloading the following form.

     


Home | Contact Us | Our Values | Map to our Office | Links

How to Hire our Firm | Our Resume | Mission Statement | Texas Lawyer's Creed

DWI Defense | DWI FAQ | Your BAC | Administrative Drivers License Revocation (ALR) | Free ALR Help

Criminal Defense | Criminal Defense FAQ | Personal Injury | Family Violence

* Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization
© Copyright 2003-2023 The Willard Hall Firm, all rights reserved.
  If this website does not view correctly please e-mail our technical department.