Why is the Harris County probation department telling clients their driver's license is suspended after a DWI?
IAs a DWI lawyer I would never offer accounting advice to anyone since I am not a CPA. Why do people think they can give legal advice when they are not a lawyer? What is even worse then a non lawyer giving advice is when they give wrong advice. For some reason the Harris County Probation Department thinks they can give legal opinions despite the fact they are not lawyers. On more than one occasion this month they have scared my clients into thinking that they will be arrested for driving while their license is suspended after their DWI arrest. I imagine that the person dispensing this advice did not bother to actually run my client's driver's license to see that it has not been suspended. The probation department fails to realize is that it takes several months to get a "ALR" hearing in Harris County, Texas where it will be decided if a person's driver's license will be suspended after their DWI arrest. Most importantly, they fail to realize that it is more likely that their license will not be suspended after the hearing.
Why do they keep your drivers license then when they arrest you?
I was arrested in '09 for a DWI and received a year probation. Two weeks ago I was arrested for DWLI. The only problem is the judge did NOT suspend my license. For some reason the Austin driver records people have it on file as being suspended for one year as a result of my DWI. With less than 2 weeks left of probation, my lawyer said unfortunately it is very likely my probation will still be revoked because I went to jail. Even on my court order signed by the judge, the box beside "license suspended for __ days" is NOT checked. Obviously there was a mistake made somewhere which was out of control. He also said that an arrest warrant will be issued by my probation officer and I will have to go to jail and get booked and bonded..all because of a misunderstanding! Has this happened to anyone before?