Brian Foley's New Year's message is twenty-two seconds long because the math is simple. Here it is written out.
The enforcement
HPD, the Harris County Sheriff's Office, constables, and DPS all run holiday DWI initiatives from Christmas through New Year's. "No refusal" means a judge and a nurse are on standby: refuse a breath test and a warrant for your blood is signed within the hour. Checkpoints are illegal in Texas, but saturation patrols on Washington Avenue, Midtown, Montrose, the Heights, and the freeways are not.
The cost of the rideshare
Twenty to sixty dollars.
The cost of a first DWI
- Bond and bond fees
- Attorney's fees
- A criminal fine up to $2,000 (up to $4,000 at 0.15 or above)
- A state fine at conviction of $3,000 (or $6,000 at 0.15+)
- DPS license reinstatement fees
- Ignition interlock installation and monthly monitoring
- DWI education classes and an alcohol evaluation
- Insurance increases for three to five years
- Lost work for court settings and classes
- A permanent conviction that cannot be expunged
Realistic total for a first offense that ends in a conviction: well into five figures. The rideshare is the best investment you will make all year.
If it already happened
The arrest is not the conviction. You have 15 days to request the ALR hearing that protects your license, and a first DWI in Harris County is frequently dismissed, reduced, or resolved through a program that keeps it off your record. Call or text (713) 703-1718 — we answer on the holidays.