Williamson County Intoxication Manslaughter Lawyer

Being involved in a fatal drunk driving accident can change the course of your life for the worse in a heartbeat. Build the strongest defense by working with a Williamson County intoxication manslaughter lawyer.

Driving while intoxicated (DWI) is a serious charge, but when it involved an accident that caused a death, then it jumps to another level. The implications to your life are tremendous, and fighting the charges is the only way to keep your world somewhat intact.

If you are facing charges as serious as these, you need a Williamson County intoxication manslaughter lawyer from Hines & Holub to help you build a strong defense.

What Is Intoxication Manslaughter?

Texas is the only state to have a separate law for intoxication manslaughter, which is the unintentional homicide of someone in a motor vehicle accident caused by a drunk or intoxicated driver. The motor vehicle could be a car, watercraft, or aircraft and the deaths do not have to be immediate-as long as the injuries that caused it stem from the accident.

This is different from intoxication assault in that someone is killed in the accident and not just seriously injured. DWI and intoxication manslaughter are not always the result of alcohol. Drugged driving involving marijuana, prescription drugs, and other controlled substances is treated the same as regular DWIs, and this goes for intoxication manslaughter as well.

Legal Penalties for Intoxication Manslaughter

Intoxication manslaughter is a felony of the second degree and carries steep penalties. Your Williamson County intoxication manslaughter lawyer will help you determine what sort of sentence to expect the prosecution to pursue:

• • Two to twenty years in prison

• • A monetary fine of up to $10,000

• • Between 240 and 850 hours in community service

There are circumstances that can increase the charge and the penalties. If the person killed was a public servant like an EMT or firefighter, the charge is increased to a felony of the first degree, bringing your potential prison sentence up to life or five to ninety-nine years. You will also face the additional charges of DWI, which include the loss of your drivers license and additional fines.

Life Penalties for Drunk Driving Manslaughter

Regardless of the legal penalties, an intoxication manslaughter charge means that you will face the stigma of being a criminal and worse. Your career could collapse, especially if you serve prison time, and after being marked as a criminal, finding a new job is extremely difficult.

You will have to check the box that asks if you've ever been convicted of a crime on every application for the rest of your life. Applications for jobs, loans, and housing almost always have this question, and they claim it doesn't count against your consideration, but how could it not?