Williamson County Drugged Driving Lawyer

The consequences for getting pulled over while using prescription medications can be just as severe as drinking while driving. Get the defense you need by working with a Williamson County drugged driving lawyer.

It's entirely possible to take certain prescription drugs and still be able to drive. Many people take narcotics and other medications on a regular basis and still have careers, lives, and things to do, making driving essential. However, if you get pulled over while taking prescription drugs, you might be asked to submit to a test to see what is in your system.

Having a legal right to a medication does not protect you from a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge. If you are facing a situation like this, you should explore your defense options with a Williamson County drugged driving lawyer from Hines & Holub.

Types of Drugs Cited to Cause Impairment

Police have cited many different types of medications, both prescription and over the counter, as causing driver impairment. Whether it is Tylenol PM or hydrocodone, the punishments are the same. Some of the common prescription drugs targeted in this way are as follows:

• • Xanax

• • Soma

• • Vicodin

• • Ambien

• • OxyContin

The Traffic Stop and Sobriety Tests

Drugged driving is treated the same as drunk driving, except that a breathalyzer cannot detect anything but alcohol, so the tests submitted can be based on saliva, urine, or blood. You will also go through sobriety tests such as walking a straight line or reciting the alphabet backwards to test physical and mental acuity.

Refusing to submit to any of these tests will automatically cost you your drivers license for six months, and the refusal can be used in court as evidence of your intoxication. None of these methods are foolproof, and your Williamson County prescription drug DWI lawyer will find the best way to defend against the prosecution's case.

Prescription Drug DWI Legal Consequences

If you are convicted, the penalties are determined according to how many previous DWI offenses you have been convicted for, regardless of whether they were prescription drug DWI charges. They range from class B misdemeanors to third-degree felonies and include the following punishments:

• • Fines of up to $10,000

• • Annual surcharges of up to $2,000 for three years

• • Up to ten years in prison

• • Up to 600 hours of community service

• • DWI intervention or education programs

• • Ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle

• • Up to a two-year suspension of your license

While these are the extremes, any of the punishments involved are very costly to your finances, social status, career goals, and family's security. By working with a Williamson County drugged driving lawyer from our firm, you can give yourself the best chance of reducing the penalties you face-possibly even avoiding them completely.

Non-Legal Fallout from a Drugged Driving Charge

Other than these life-altering legal penalties, you will also have to deal with the stigma of being a "drunk driver" and a criminal. Your coworkers, friends, and family might see and treat you differently, causing turbulence and strife in your personal relationships.

You will also have to answer "yes" every time an application or form asks if you have ever been convicted of a crime. This can cost you jobs, loans, and housing opportunities for decades to come.

Help from a Wilco Drugged Driving Lawyer

If you have been charged with a prescription drug DWI, you need to fight against it to protect your professional, personal, and financial future. Your family needs you to keep your license intact, and speaking with Hines & Holub about your case is the first step in doing that.

Call us at 512-473-8745 to schedule a free, confidential legal consultation with an experienced Williamson County drugged driving lawyer. You can also fill out the form below to have someone from our office contact you at your convenience.