When a police officer pulled you over, you may have expected that the worst-case scenario would be that you got a ticket for speeding or for having a taillight out. Unfortunately, your mind did not picture the actual worst-case scenario you could face because you ended up accused of driving under the influence.
While you may have had a few drinks earlier in the evening, you likely did not feel as if it had negatively affected your driving ability. Still, if an officer believes otherwise, you could wind up in a serious legal situation. You may even be at risk of having your driver’s license suspended or revoked.
Suspension vs revocation
It is not uncommon for DWI convictions to result in driver’s license suspension for the accused party. In fact, you may not even have to face a conviction in order for your license to face suspension. If the officer requested that you submit to a breath test and you chose not to do so, you have violated the Texas implied consent law. As a result, you could face an immediate suspension of your driver’s license.
While suspension is less severe than revocation, it is still a serious matter. Of course, if your license gets revoked, you will have a much more difficult time getting it back. If this is your first experience with a DWI charge, and there are no other extenuating circumstances, revocation will more than likely not be a repercussion you face. It is important to know that, if the court does revoke your license, you would have to go through the entire DMV process again in efforts to have your license reinstated.
Types of suspension
When it comes to license suspension, you could face definite or indefinite suspension. Definite suspension means that the court will set a particular time period for how long your suspension will last. After that period ends, you can pay any applicable suspension termination fees and have your license reinstated.
With indefinite suspension, a particular time period for suspension is not set. Instead, you would need to complete a particular action before being able to reinstate your license. For instance, you may need to pay a traffic ticket, perform community service or carry out some other designated duty.
Fighting DWI charges
You undoubtedly do not want to face any type of driver’s license suspension or revocation, or any other negative impacts of a DWI charge. As a result, you will certainly want to explore your criminal defense options and determine what steps could help you best address your case.