The State of Texas abolished deferred adjudication in DWI cases in the mid-1980s, yet here we are today trying to come up with a remedy for the state’s glut of DWI cases.
Houston, TX (PRWEB) January 15, 2011
The debate about a proposed change to Texas DWI penalties highlights the serious problem of drunk-driving accidents in the Lone Star State, a Houston drunk-driving accident lawyer says.
A bill before the Texas legislature meant to cut into the backlog of DWI cases in the state’s courts would offer deferred adjudication to those arrested for the first time on a DWI offense.
Under the proposed law, if a first-time defendant completes assigned supervision and treatment, their record would be expunged. Failure to meet the requirements would result in harsher penalties in the event of a later DWI conviction.
“The State of Texas abolished deferred adjudication in DWI cases in the mid-1980s, yet here we are today trying to come up with a remedy for the state’s glut of DWI cases,” says Brad T. Wyly, founder of the Wyly Law Firm, P.C., which represents drunk-driving accident victims throughout the Houston area. “It’s a sad and terribly distressing statement about our society, about our greater Texas community.”
The numbers bear out Wyly’s concern. The Texas Department of Transportation says that in 2009 there were 27,108 alcohol-related crashes in the state that caused 955 deaths and 17,542 injuries.
More than 122,000 misdemeanor DWI cases were pending in state district courts in August 2010 as a state House legislative committee held its first hearing about re-instating deferred judgment, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
In the first week of January 2011, the Texas Highway Patrol said it arrested 1,106 drivers across the state for driving while intoxicated between Dec. 21 and Jan. 1. David Baker, the Patrol’s assistant director, said the 2010 holiday arrest total was 288 more than 2009’s tally.
“Clearly, though it destroys the lives of accident victims, drivers and their families, drunk driving is not going away,” says Wyly, a personal injury attorney who assists individuals injured in car accidents. “It’s those innocent people who are hurt by drunk driving through no fault of their own who deserve our greatest sympathy, protection and consideration.”
About Wyly Law Firm, P.C.
The Wyly Law Firm, P.C., handles car accident cases in Houston and the surrounding communities, including Baytown, Harris County, Pasadena, Galveston and Beaumont. In addition to representing the victims of auto accidents involving drunk driving, distracted driving, aggressive driving, speeding and other factors, the firm assists clients in aviation, bicycle, boating, motorcycle, public transportation, school bus and trucking accidents. Attorney Brad T. Wyly, the firm’s founder, is a skilled negotiator and lawyer with extensive experience in personal injury cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths. He was named a Rising Star in Law & Politics magazine in 2005 and 2006. To contact Wyly Law Firm, P.C., call (713) 574-7034 or use the firm’s online form.
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