Archive for March, 2017

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Talks About No Refusal Periods

Tuesday, March 28th, 2017

If you think that “no refusal” periods are limited to holiday weekends, it’s time that you take another look at Texas DWI policy, including the provisions for “no refusal” periods. Some areas have lengthy “no refusal” periods in March, not because St. Patrick’s Day celebrations last for weeks, but because other events like Spring Break and the South by Southwest music festival bring people from all kinds of places to Texas to have a good time. It is true that many “no refusal” periods cover holiday weekends like the Super Bowl and the Fourth of July, but there are some longer periods as well, such as the current one that lasts for a significant part of the month of March, that motorists should know about.

While the length of specific “no refusal” periods varies from place to place, the timing of patrols is often predictable. In many locations, patrols operate between the hours of nine in the evening and five in the morning. If a driver gets pulled over and asked to submit to roadside blood or breath testing at any time during a “no refusal” period, the officer who pulled them over may apply for a blood search warrant if they do not voluntarily participate in roadside testing.

Law enforcement officials say that they would rather see people plan ahead and arrange for safe transportation than arrest many drivers whom they suspect of driving while intoxicated. There are often multiple options for safe transportation available, including some transportation options that may be available specifically for attendees of individual events, like Spring Break or music festival shuttle services. Ride sharing services are also popular right now, and there may be many options to choose from in your local area. Whenever you and your friends make plans to go to an event, why not spend a little extra time making sure that you know how you will get around before, during, and after the event. Taking the time to arrange safe transportation for yourself and your friends can go a long way towards avoiding DWI charges and, even more importantly, reduce the risk of harm to yourself and others.

Whether you are visiting Texas or you are an experienced Texas driver who does not know the penalties for a Texas DWI, please know that a first offense DWI can carry a fine of up to two thousand dollars. It can also get you a sentence of three to one hundred and eighty days in jail in addition to license suspension. If you get convicted of a second DWI offense, you could be fined up to two thousand dollars and spend between one month and one year in jail in addition to license suspension. The penalties continue to increase for each subsequent offense, and of aggravating factors like a crash or a child passenger are present, additional penalties may be imposed.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Helping Drivers Who Have Been Charged With DWI

If you are currently facing DWI charges in Texas, you may have a few questions on your mind. Call experienced Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499, or fill out our online contact form to learn more about how we might be able to help you.

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Texas Family Law Attorney Talks about Pets and Your Divorce

Thursday, March 16th, 2017

Most couples and families regard their pets as members of the family. We take them with us on adventures, we curl up with them on the couch, we play with them, and we love them in so many ways. In return, they love us faithfully and bring so much joy into our lives. When a couple who has pets divorces, they will need to decide how they will handle the care and company of their pets.

A recent change to the divorce laws in Alaska requires courts to consider the “well-being of the animal” in divorce cases where custody of a pet is contested. The change went into effect this past January, and it makes Alaska the first state to require that courts address the needs of an animal when they make decisions about how they will assign ownership of that animal in a divorce case. The law permits courts to assign ownership of an animal to one party or the other or to order joint custody in situations where the well-being of the animal would be served best by that arrangement.

Most states, including Texas, treat animals as personal property. When a couple divorces, the issue of who will get to keep which animals gets addressed in the property settlement portion of the divorce proceedings. Even though animals are considered property under the law, divorcing couples who have pets are free to make agreements about how they want to handle issues associated with pet care and ownership.

If you have pets and you are divorcing, you might already be aware that your pets will experience your divorce on both a physical level and an emotional level. You and your pet may both already be experiencing feelings associated with the change in the amount of time that you spend together if that has already changed for you. These feelings, along with the fact that pets who spend time with each of their “people” adjust more easily to their new lifestyle, are good reasons to do your best to work things out with your spouse as far as agreeing to a schedule for pet care and making an agreement about pet-related expenses. Any agreement that the two of you create on your own will serve your needs and the needs of your pets much better than a judge-designed court order can because the court will simply consider the pets as property and distribute them as part of your property agreement.

If you have pets and you are getting divorced, be sure to take the time to talk about your pets with your spouse. Pets can be treated more like family members and less like property when a divorcing couple makes an agreement regarding their care and custody instead of leaving the matter of their disposition to a judge. If you have questions about how to address the needs of your pets in your Texas divorce, please contact Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra at (903) 753-7499 to schedule a consultation. Alternatively, you may visit us online and submit a convenient online contact form.

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Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Discusses Proposed Legislation That Would Address Cyberbullying

Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

Cyberbullying is not that new of a concept, but more and more states are taking steps to address it more aggressively. Soon, Texas’s cyberbullying rules may also get an update, thanks to House Bill 306, which is likely to have a hearing in March. House Bill 306 would improve upon current cyberbullying rules by providing clearer definitions of what bullying and cyberbullying are and setting up a clear set of directions for how school systems and the courts can address them.

Many states have been strengthening their cyberbullying rules because the rules that they had in place were not addressing the problem as well as they had hoped that they would. Cyberbullying is still a major issue, and it is a dangerous problem because some of the people who are targets of cyberbullying commit suicide. The states are hoping to reduce the number of suicides related to cyberbullying by getting schools more involved in detecting and addressing cyberbullying regardless of when and where it occurs. For example, in Texas, the current laws do not allow schools to address bullying incidents that happen outside of school hours. The proposed legislation would allow schools to get involved in dealing with any bullying or cyberbullying that they become aware of, regardless of when and where it occurs.

The proposed legislation would also allow all types of schools to design policies to address bullying and cyberbullying. That would encourage each school to educate its students about cyberbullying and also assess the extent to which it is occurring within that school. In addition to whatever consequences the schools might choose to set for bullying or cyberbullying, the proposed legislation would make bullying anyone under the age of eighteen a Class A Misdemeanor. The legislation also contains a provision that would enable the family of a victim of bullying to pursue a civil action against the parents of the bully if the parents are aware of the behavior and are refusing to put a stop to it.

The proposed legislation also contains practical strategies for stopping bullying as soon as possible after it begins. For example, attorneys and investigators would have more authority to interact with the administrators of social media sites to determine the identities of bullies who attempt to avoid detection by using anonymous accounts and social media profiles. It is important that authorities be able to act quickly because critical evidence could get deleted if they do not get to it in time.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Preserving the Rights of Texas Defendants

Criminal law is in a state of constant change. Definitions of offenses are continually getting updated, and new offense categories are being added. Penalties also vary from time to time, so if you were charged with an offense in the past and you are charged with that same type of offense again, you may not be able to predict what the outcome will be based upon your experience. A seasoned Texas criminal defense attorney continually educates themselves about the changing landscape of Texas criminal law so that they are always ready to present the best defense on behalf of their clients. If you have a Texas criminal law question, please call Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499, or connect with us through our convenient online contact form.

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