| There are two different types of drunk driving cases: | | | | higher fine and maybe jail time because they would |
| DWI and DUI. Each of these has different details that | | | | think that you haven't learned your lesson. |
| make them different from each other. If you have | | | | A DWI, or Driving While Intoxicated, case can be a little |
| been arrested for one of these, it would be in your | | | | bit different. There are both civil cases as well as |
| best interest to know the difference between them | | | | criminal cases, but they both mean different things. A |
| and what the consequences are. | | | | civil DWI case means that the person was under the |
| DUI, or Driving Under the Influence, can either be a civil | | | | age of 21 and submitted to a sobriety test. The person |
| case or a criminal case. A civil case of DUI means that | | | | must have tested above the legal limit of .08%. This |
| the person that was arrested was under the age of | | | | can also be for those over the age of 21 that refuse |
| 21. This also means that the person submitted to taking | | | | to take a sobriety test. The punishment for this is |
| either a blood test or a breathalyzer test and was | | | | usually a suspended license for up to 1 year, a fine up |
| officially under the legal limit. The legal limit in the state | | | | to $5000, and some amount of jail time depending on |
| of Texas is a BAC, or Blood Alcohol Concentration, of | | | | how many prior offenses the person has had. |
| .08%. A criminal case of DUI means that the person | | | | A criminal DWI case gets to be a little bit more |
| was over the age of 21 and also agreed to take | | | | complicated than all the others. In most criminal cases, |
| some kind of sobriety test and tested below the legal | | | | the person submits to a sobriety tests and has a BAC |
| limit. Usually a criminal case DUI is considered a Class | | | | over the legal limit. This is usually considered a class B |
| C misdemeanor. This means that for a first time | | | | misdemeanor. The sentence for this misdemeanor is |
| offender there will be a fine of up to $5000 with no jail | | | | usually a fine with a minimum of $2000 and not less |
| time. The judge will most likely assign you to do some | | | | than 3 days in jail. The court will also probably require |
| type of community service along with an alcohol | | | | some kind of alcohol awareness training for this |
| awareness class. If you are a repeating offender, the | | | | misdemeanor as well. |
| judge or court might consider sentencing you to a | | | | |