Texas DWI Defense Attorney Discusses DWI Penalties for Minors

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When you think about a typical situation involving a minor being charged with DWI, you might imagine a teenager who has a driver’s license being caught driving after having a few beers at a party. While situations like that do happen, there are some minors who do not even have their drivers’ license when they get their first DWI. For example, a twelve-year-old is currently under investigation for DWI following a police chase that ended with a crash. Fortunately, the driver’s injuries are not severe, but he will face legal consequences as the result of his actions.

When a law enforcement noticed the young driver weaving in and out of traffic, they believed that the driver was texting and driving. As the officer continued to observe him, the driver crossed the center line, and the officer began to suspect that the driver as intoxicated. The officer tried to stop the vehicle, but the driver did not stop. The driver kept going and hit another car head-on, but the impact was not sufficient to stop the vehicle, and he kept driving. Eventually, the young driver collided with a utility pole and that collision prevented the vehicle from being driven any further.

The minor is now being investigated for DWI, evading police, and failing to stop and render aid after an accident. He is likely to encounter substantial consequences as the result of his actions, especially if he gets convicted of any or all of the three crimes that are under investigation. Under Texas law, anyone who is under twenty-one years of age is a minor. A minor may not drive with any detectable amount of alcohol in their system. The penalty for DWI for a minor depends both on the amount of alcohol in the driver’s system and the number of times that they have been stopped for drinking and driving.

First offenders who are minors could be fined up to five hundred dollars. They receive a sixty-day license suspension; they must attend an alcohol awareness class, and they must do between twenty and forty hours of community service. Penalties increase for second and subsequent offenses.

Minors can also receive an enhanced penalty if they are over seventeen years of age but under twenty-one, and their blood alcohol level is .08 or higher. Under these circumstances, a minor can be fined up to two thousand dollars and have their license suspended for at least ninety days and up to one year. They could also have to spend anywhere from three to one hundred and eighty days in jail.

Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Defending Minors Who Are Charged With DWI

If you are a minor, a DWI investigation can be incredibly intimidating. The consequences of a potential conviction are serious, and you are probably wondering what you should do. Fortunately, you do not have to face those charges alone. If you are a minor and you have been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, protect your rights by calling an experienced Texas DWI Defense Attorney today. If you have any questions about DWI in Texas, call Texas DWI Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499, or contact us online.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Explains the Rules for Keeping Exotic Pets in Texas

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If you like wild animals like exotic cats, bears, or primates, you may have wondered whether you can keep one as a pet. In Texas, people may keep some dangerous wild animals like tigers, jaguars, lynx, coyotes, monkeys, and other similar animals as pets provided that the individual who is keeping the animal applies for a permit to do so and renews that permit annually.

A woman was recently arrested and charged with theft and child endangerment after it was discovered that she was keeping dangerous animals in her home. She had sold one of the animals, a Savannah kitten, to a man in California, but he never received the kitten because she claimed that it was sick. The woman fled to Nevada with her daughter and the animals, presumably because she feared that she would be found out. She was located in Nevada; the animals were confiscated, and authorities took her into custody.

Since it is illegal to keep dangerous wild animals as pets without registering them, it is important for would-be exotic pet owners to know about the requirements for registration. The rules appear in the Texas Health and Safety Code, and the registration requirement appears in § 822.103, which specifies, among other things that a person may not keep a dangerous wild animal unless they obtain a certificate of registration from the applicable animal registration agency. Registration certificates are not transferable, applicants may have to pay a fee, and certificates must be renewed annually.

When someone wants to apply for permission to keep a dangerous wild animal, they must provide information about themselves, information about the animal that they wish to own, information about where the animal will live and its enclosure, and give permission for the agency that would issue the application to inspect the animal and its home to ensure that it is being kept safe and taken care of. If the person gets permission to keep the animal and the animal attacks someone, the owner must notify the agency that issued the registration certificate right away.

Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra – Defending Texans against Criminal Charges

Texas has more permissive rules for keeping dangerous wild animals as pets than many other states do. However, there are laws that govern the keeping of these animals, and they must be followed to protect the health and safety of the animals and other humans. Failing to register your exotic pet could not only cost you your pet, but it could also carry financial and other penalties that you can avoid by following the registration and renewal requirements. If you make a mistake and fail to register your animal or to renew your registration, speak with an attorney right away. Your Texas criminal defense attorney has a working understanding of the law, and they will use that knowledge to build a strong case on your behalf. If you have been charged with keeping a dangerous wild animal in violation of the law or with some other crime related to animals and you have questions, please call Texas Criminal Defense Attorney Alex Tyra, at (903) 753-7499. Alternatively, you may contact us online.

Texas Family Law Attorney Discusses How to Talk to Children about Divorce

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There’s no doubt about it – thinking about talking to your kids about divorce can bring up many different emotions. You might fear that you will damage your beloved children by divorcing, or by making a mistake when you have the dreaded conversation. You might be angry that you are getting divorced and resentful that you even have to have the divorce talk with your kids at all. It’s possible that you are sad, anxious, or any other feeling or combination of feelings as well. Despite all of that, though, once you and your soon to be former spouse have decided for certain that you are divorcing, it is time for you to plan for this crucial conversation together, and for delivering the news together, as a united front.

Introducing your children to the fact that you and their other parent are divorcing is a serious subject and must be handled with the utmost care. It’s time to set aside your differences for the time being and work together to decide when the conversation will take place, map out who will say what, and agree on ground rules for creating a calm and reassuring tone during “the talk”. When planning a time to talk, be sure to allow for as much time as you will need, including plenty of time for questions – because there will be lots of those.

When you plan out what you are going to say, it is important to be truthful without placing blame or bringing negativity to the table. For example, instead of saying that you are divorcing because one of you has been unfaithful, you can say that your relationship is not working out. Be sure to include plenty of reassurance that each of you loves each of your children and that you always will, because even though you might think that is obvious, it is not always visible to children, and you can’t say it too many times. Reassuring children that it is not their fault is also important. You know your kids best, and it may be helpful to think of some things to include in the conversation that will speak to each of them about things that are most important to them. This might mean talking about whether they’ll be remaining in the same school, talking about having two homes, discussing spending time with each parent, talking about spending time with friends, or anything else that you know the feel strongly about.

When it’s time to sit down with the kids and have the conversation, stick to your plan and create a gentle and reassuring tone for the discussion. Keep your conversation simple, age-appropriate, and relevant to your children’s lives, be sure to ask them whether they have any questions afterward, and answer questions as honestly as you can without being negative or disrespectful. By following the aforementioned suggestions, you can use this challenging conversation to set the stage for healthy relationships between each of you and your children as well as a cooperative and healthy co-parenting relationship between the two of you.

Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra – Your Texas Divorce Attorney

Get answers to your questions about Texas divorce today – call Texas Family Law Attorney Alex Tyra at (903) 753-7499.