Before I’m arrested for DWI, am I required to take a breath, blood, or urine test when requested by a police officer?

Trichter & LeGrand DWI Lawyers
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Am I required to take a breath, blood, or urine test when requested by a police officer?

Our law deems that all persons who drive with Texas licenses have already conditionally agreed, AFTER their DWI arrest, to take either a breath or blood test upon being lawfully arrested, and provided orally and in writing a statutory warning requesting a breath or blood specimen by a police officer. 

This deemed consent arises only when you have driven in a public place. 

Examples of public places are public roads, highways, beaches, parking garages, and other places where the public or a substantial part of the public may gain access.

There is no such deemed consent, or “implied consent” as it is sometimes called, for a urine test. 

However, you may withdraw your consent and refuse a breath or blood test sample upon request unless a judge or magistrate signs a search warrant or unless you are unconscious and unable to withdraw consent. 

The decision to withdraw consent has consequences in the form of license suspension.

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If I take a breath and/or blood test and the alcohol concentration (BAC) is Less Than .08, can I still be convicted and/or lose my license?

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DWI BREATH TEST & TIME

Yes. Where a DWI breath test does not show intoxication (i.e., it shows .00, .02, .06, etc.), it is often the case that the prosecution will still proceed under the theory that intoxication was present and caused by a drug, a controlled substance, or a combination of alcohol with the drug or controlled substance.

If the prosecution can show a loss of mental or physical faculties, then a conviction can occur even if a BAC is less than .08. This same logic applies to driver’s license suspension.

DWI Breath Test and Time

Many variables can affect the believability of a BAC result – for example, the time of drinking, the time of driving, the time of testing, the number of drinks consumed, the type of alcoholic beverage consumed, whether or not food was consumed, the weight of the person drinking, etc. Any of these items may render a BAC result unreliable.

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Form Submissions have a fast response time. Request your free consultation to discuss your case with one of our attorneys over the phone. The use of this form does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

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How is breath testing done?

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HOW IS BREATH TESTING DONE?

police-breathalyzer

Police perform breath alcohol testing on a machine named Intoxilyzer 5000 EN. 

These devices are old and will soon be replaced. 

When new, sometime in the late ’90s, they cost approximately $7,500. 

According to the manufacturer, the device works on the basis of infrared light absorption by alcohol detected in a person’s breath.

According to the manufacturer and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the device subtracts the amount of light absorbed from the person’s breath sample, compares that amount with the amount of light originally introduced by the device into its testing chamber, and prints the difference as a test result.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CASE

Get A Fast Response

Form Submissions have a fast response time. Request your free consultation to discuss your case with one of our attorneys over the phone. The use of this form does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

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