First DWI in Bexar County: Will I Go to Jail?
Facing a first DWI? Call me now at (830) 529-7693. I answer my phone, including nights and weekends.
It's the first question almost every client asks me, usually in a quiet voice: "Am I going to jail?"
If this is your first arrest, I understand the fear. You've never been in the system. You don't know the rules, you don't know the people, and it feels like your whole life is in someone else's hands. So let's start with the honest answer.
For most first-time offenders, a long jail sentence is not the likely outcome. That doesn't mean your case isn't serious. It is, and it needs to be handled the right way from day one. But a first DWI arrest is not the end of your career, your family life, or your future.
What the law says. In Texas, a first DWI is generally a Class B misdemeanor, which carries up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. The law also sets a 72-hour minimum, but many first-time offenders meet that with the time they already spent in custody after the arrest, or never serve it because they're placed on probation. Some facts make a case more serious, such as a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher, an open container, a child in the vehicle, or an accident with injuries.
You may have more options than you think. Depending on the facts of your case and your history, a first-time offender may qualify for:
Probation (community supervision) instead of jail
Deferred adjudication, which for some DWI cases can keep you from ending up with a final conviction
Pretrial diversion, which in qualifying cases can lead to the charge being dismissed
A fight at trial, if the stop, the testing, or the arrest wasn't done right
Which option fits you depends on the details. That's why the first conversation matters.
Don't guess about your future. Call me at (830) 529-7693 and I'll tell you where you stand.
What makes a first-time case go wrong. In my experience, it's rarely the charge itself. It's the things people do in the first few weeks: missing the 15-day license deadline, talking about the case online, showing up to court unprepared, or hiring a lawyer they can never reach.
You won't be a case number to me. I've been defending people in Bexar County since 2004. I'm a solo practitioner, which means when you retain me, you get me. Mornings, nights, weekends. When you're lying awake worrying about your court date, you can reach me.
In court, I'm your voice. I work your case toward what's best for you, not what's easiest for the system. And if the State wants a fight, I don't back down. I'm your first line of defense, and I don't break easily.
You've never done this before. I have, thousands of times over.
Call me directly: (830) 529-7693
I'll listen to what happened, explain your options, and tell you what we do next.