DWI Lawyer in Seguin
Protecting Your Right to Drive
A DWI arrest in Seguin can make a normal night feel like it broke into pieces. Lights on I-10. A stop on SH 123, State Highway 46, or Court Street.
Questions about drinks, medicine, where you came from, and where you were headed. Then maybe field sobriety tests on the shoulder, a breath test, a blood test, handcuffs, and a ride to jail.
The papers do not explain the damage. They just give you dates.
Seymour & Vaughn help people who need a DWI lawyer in Seguin and want straight answers before the court date gets close. We handle DWI defense in Guadalupe County and Central Texas courts, and we look at the stop, the testing, the video, the license issue, and the parts of the story that did not make it into the report.
Call (830) 282-8751 for a free consultation. Tell us where the stop happened, what agency arrested you, whether you gave breath or blood, and what paperwork you received.
Why Is a DWI Both a Criminal Case and a License Problem?
A DWI arrest triggers two separate proceedings. The criminal case runs through the county or district court, while DPS pursues a license suspension administratively on its own schedule, often with a deadline that expires before your first court setting.
Most people worry about the court first, and that makes sense. DWI is a crime in Texas, and a conviction can bring jail time, probation, fines, a record, and trouble at work or home.
The License Case Runs Separately
DPS can move against your driver’s license through the administrative license revocation process. A failed test and a refusal do not fall under the same Transportation Code chapter, so the notice you received matters.
Read it. Keep it. Do not assume the criminal court date protects your driving privileges, because the two systems do not coordinate with each other.
What the State Must Prove Criminally
Texas law says a person commits DWI by operating a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated. Intoxicated can mean not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties because of alcohol, a drug, a controlled substance, another substance, or a mix of substances.
It can also mean an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more. That definition gives the prosecution its map. It does not hand them a win.
How Closely Should the Traffic Stop Be Examined?
Closely enough to test whether it was lawful at all. If the officer lacked reasonable suspicion for the stop or probable cause for the arrest, everything that followed, including the field tests and the specimen, can be suppressed.
A traffic stop can sound simple in a police report. Swerving. Speeding. No signal. A crash call. A welfare check. A report from another driver.
We still want the video.
The Questions the Report Does Not Answer
Did the officer have a lawful reason to stop the car, and did the video match the written report? Was the driving really bad, or was a minor traffic issue blown out of proportion into a DWI investigation?
Did the officer move too quickly from a routine traffic stop to questions about alcohol or drugs, and was there anything supporting that shift?
Conditions That Affect Field Sobriety Tests
- Road slope, gravel, and passing traffic.
- Headlights, weather, and poor lighting.
- Boots or other unsuitable footwear.
- Age, injury, fatigue, anxiety, and medical conditions.
A person may look nervous because the police are standing there with their lights flashing. That is not the same thing as proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
Blood and Breath Records
Time matters. Chain of custody matters. Machine records matter. Lab paperwork matters.
A test number may scare you, but it still has to connect to the State’s claim that you were intoxicated while driving, not merely at the moment the sample was taken an hour later.
Where Do Seguin DWI Cases Get Heard?
Seguin is the county seat of Guadalupe County, and both the county courts at law and the district courts sit at 211 W. Court Street. Most first-offense DWI cases are misdemeanors handled in the county courts at law.
Misdemeanor Ranges
Texas Penal Code section 49.04 makes a first DWI a Class B misdemeanor in many cases and includes a minimum confinement term of 72 hours.
Texas Penal Code Chapter 12 states that a Class B misdemeanor can carry a sentence of up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, while a Class A misdemeanor can carry up to 1 year and a fine of up to $4,000.
What Makes a Case More Serious
Some cases are heavier from the beginning. A blood alcohol result of 0.15 or more can raise the punishment to a Class A misdemeanor.
Prior convictions, a crash, an injury, a child passenger, a refusal, an open container allegation, or a death allegation can change the case fast and can move it into district court entirely.
Do not treat it like a traffic ticket. It is not one.
What Should You Bring Us Early?
Bring every document from the arrest and every detail about your physical condition that night. Bond papers, court notices, DIC license paperwork, tow records, blood draw forms, hospital records, photos, passenger names, and text messages all matter.
The small stuff can matter more than people expect, and it is easier to gather now than in three months.
The Real-Life Details
Had you worked a double shift? Were you sick or taking medication? Did you have a knee, back, balance, or eye issue?
Were you scared? Did the officer explain the instructions clearly? Did you ask for a lawyer, and did the questioning continue anyway?
A Seguin DWI attorney should care about those answers. A report may flatten everything into a few lines, but real life does not happen in a few lines.
What You Actually Stand to Lose
A DWI lands differently for different people. A nurse may worry about a license, and a CDL driver may worry about work before anything else.
A parent may worry about getting children to school if driving privileges are restricted. Someone already on probation may fear that one arrest will reopen an older case.
Tell us that early, because it changes the advice.
The Part Nobody Wants to Say
For some people, the hard part is embarrassment. They have never been arrested and do not know what to tell a spouse, boss, or parent.
Shame does not help the defense. Details do. Bring the ugly parts too, because a bad fact is far easier to handle when we know about it before the prosecutor raises it in court.
What Determines the Defense in Your Case?
The facts do. Some DWI cases turn on the stop, some on probable cause, some on the field tests, some on the testing chemistry, and some on whether the State can prove driving, timing, or intoxication at all.
A dismissal may be possible in one case. Reduced charges may make sense in another. A trial may be the right call when the accusation does not match the evidence.
We will not promise any of that on a first phone call. Nobody honest should.
What we can do is build a defense around the record. We request evidence, review testing, challenge weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, discuss penalties, and prepare you for court. If a license hearing is available, we assess whether it should be requested and what it may reveal.
Do not walk into court alone just to see what happens. You should have representation before you answer questions, sign plea papers, or decide the case is hopeless.
Call Before The Deadline Gets Away From You
A DWI charge can affect your license, job, family routine, reputation, and future. Waiting usually helps the State more than it helps you.
Call Seymour & Vaughn at (830) 282-8751 for a free consultation. We serve Seguin, New Braunfels, San Antonio, and nearby Guadalupe County communities.