DWI Defense in Collin County

A DWI arrest starts several processes at once: a criminal case, a separate proceeding over your driver’s license, and bond conditions you must follow while the case is pending. For nurses, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and real estate professionals, there is often a fourth: the licensing board.

O’Toole Law, PLLC represents people charged with DWI in Collin County and surrounding counties, with particular attention to clients whose professional license is also at stake. The work starts with one coordinated plan, so a decision made in one process doesn’t create a problem in another.

What a DWI charge carries

A DWI is a criminal charge, not a traffic ticket. In Texas, a first DWI is generally a Class B misdemeanor. A conviction can bring:

• Jail time from 72 hours up to 180 days
• A fine of up to $2,000, plus a separate state fine of $3,000 on conviction
• A driver’s license suspension of up to one year

The ranges increase if the alcohol concentration was 0.15 or higher, if there was an open container, or if there is a prior DWI. A DWI conviction also cannot be expunged in Texas. That is why the decisions made early in a case matter.

The first 15 days: your driver’s license hearing

Separate from the criminal case, the Texas Department of Public Safety may move to suspend your driver’s license through the Administrative License Revocation (ALR) process. You have 15 days to request a hearing. When that clock starts depends on what happened at the arrest. If you refused a breath or blood test, it generally runs from the date of arrest. If you gave a sample and the results came back later, it runs from the date DPS sends notice.

The hearing addresses your license, and it can also be an early look at the evidence, sometimes before law enforcement files the case with the prosecutor.

Bond conditions while your case is pending

Release on bond in a DWI case often comes with conditions. Two of the most common are an ignition interlock device, which requires a breath sample before the vehicle starts, and bond supervision check-ins, which require regular reporting. Missing a condition can have serious consequences, and these requirements can affect work and daily routines. We go over your conditions with you at the start, so you know what is required and when.

Keeping the ability to drive: occupational driver’s licenses

If your license is suspended, an occupational driver’s license may allow limited driving for work, school, and essential household duties. Not everyone needs one, and some clients decide they don’t want one. When it fits your needs, we can handle the petition. It is filed separately from the criminal case, usually in a different court, and involves a court filing fee and a separate attorney fee.

When you hold a professional license

For a licensed professional, a DWI is rarely only a criminal case. The boards that license nurses, educators, physicians, attorneys, and real estate professionals each have their own rules about arrests and convictions: what must be reported, when, and how it is reviewed. Some ask about criminal history at renewal. Those rules differ from board to board, and they don’t follow the criminal court’s timeline.

The order of decisions matters. A plea, a statement, or a disclosure made for one process can affect another. O’Toole Law also represents licensed professionals before Texas licensing boards, including attorneys in the State Bar grievance process, so the criminal case and the license can be planned together from the start. [Link: Professional License Defense] [Link: DWI and Texas nursing license post]

After the case: nondisclosure

Texas law allows some people with a first DWI to ask the court for an order of nondisclosure, which limits who can see the record. Eligibility depends on the facts of the case and how it was resolved, and not every DWI qualifies.

Talk with Jon O’Toole

A consultation with Jon O’Toole covers where your case stands, which deadlines apply, and how the criminal case, your driver’s license, and any professional license fit together. Jon brings nearly 20 years of criminal law experience in North Texas, and served several years on a State Bar of Texas Grievance committee, including a year as district chair and panel chair. Call Jon O’Toole today at 214-225-6658

This page provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Contacting O’Toole Law, PLLC does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.