Finding a Houston Criminal Attorney: How Harris County DWI Lawyers can help you Address Texas Probation Violations
When addressing Texas probation violations due to a DWI, finding a Houston criminal attorney experienced with handling DWI cases is imperative.
There is almost nothing that causes more stress and anxiety than the thought of receiving a DWI or DUI, especially when you are on probation. The few moments after police pull you or a loved one over under the suspicion of driving under the influence, you are full of terror as you begin to realize how serious such a charge can be. Fortunately, there are Harris County DWI lawyers in Houston who can help you manage this situation and who are knowledgeable about your rights. Not every Houston criminal attorney is skilled in this area, so be sure to look for a legal professional who has handled DWI cases in the past and who stays continually up to date on the new court rulings regarding DUI charges.
There are a few things to keep in mind as you begin to address a DWI charge; particularly because this type of serious situation is one of the Texas probation violations that can cause an immediate revoking of your probation privileges:
- Sobriety field tests are far from consistently accurate. In the last two decades, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) began funding studies regarding the accuracy of common field sobriety tests. The results were, well, sobering. Very few, and by some estimates less than 5%, of these tests are performed using the procedures and standards established by the NHTSA. Your Houston criminal attorney should be knowledgeable about the fallacies behind many of these tests and should immediately begin questioning the validity of any evaluations of your sobriety that were performed under mismanaged conditions. Unless the field sobriety tests were performed completely and accurately, by a well trained law enforcement officer who used the standards established by the NHTSA, it should have next to zero predicted reliability.
- Sobriety field tests are not “scientific”, according to credible scientists around the world. The fact is, there are too many exterior variables, like lighting and roadway slope, to ever completely assure that a failure on field sobriety tests were caused exclusively by the intoxication of the tester. The NHTSA itself admits that up to a third of completely sober testers fail the one leg stand test, the walk and turn or the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. Such an inconsistent test should always be questioned, which is why Harris County DWI Lawyers immediately challenge field sobriety tests during their legal proceedings.
If you find that you have been charged with a DWI, either as part of Texas probation violations or as a separate matter, contact a Houston criminal attorney at The Kahn Law Firm. We are experienced at dealing with sobriety test findings, and we know how to successfully question these tests and their results. Contact us today at 713-226-9900 or toll free 1-877-226-9940 and let us get started working for you.
