Dallas Intoxication Assault Attorneys

Have you been charged with intoxication assault? If you are convicted of such a charge, you may face substantial penalties. The penalties may include monetary fines or imprisonment, or both.

Under Texas law, an intoxication assault is when serious injuries are inflicted on another individual while driving drunk. Intoxication assault charges are often prosecuted aggressively in Dallas because of the potentially great harm that could have resulted, even when the actual bodily injuries of the victim were minor. There is a great social stigma against drunk driving, but the Dallas attorneys of the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter do not believe this should affect your case.

If you are facing intoxication assault charges in Dallas, it could be crucial to the outcome of your case to enlist the assistance of an experienced criminal defense team as early on in the process as possible. Our Dallas intoxication assault attorneys at the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter believe everyone needs the best defense possible and are dedicated to representing clients like you against these charges.

Contact Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter at (214) 845-7007 to have qualified legal representation guide you through the criminal justice system.

Do I Need a Dallas Intoxication Assault Defense Attorney?

Texas law defines intoxication assault as causing serious bodily injury to another when operating a motor vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, amusement ride, or assembling a mobile amusement ride while intoxicated. The statute defines intoxication as physical and/or mental impairment resulting from the ingestion of one or more of the following:

Alcohol – under the law, one is presumed to be intoxicated if their blood alcohol level is .08 or greater. It doesn’t matter if you do not feel intoxicated.
Controlled substance
Drugs; or
Dangerous drugs

Even if you only took medication that a physician prescribed for you if the medication affected you physically or mentally, you may meet the legal definition of intoxicated.

The courts take a charge of intoxication assault seriously, and so should you. In Texas, intoxication assault is a third-degree felony. The criminal justice system can be confusing and intimidating and facing any criminal charge is scary. If you’re convicted of a charge of intoxication assault, you may face incarceration in a state penitentiary. Imprisonment can affect your job, your family, and your reputation. A charge of intoxication assault may very well change your life. Well-qualified legal representation may lessen the impact a charge of intoxication assault might have on your life.

The United States Constitution gives you certain rights. A knowledgeable attorney understands the value of these rights and will help to preserve them. Having an attorney represent you means there is someone who has your best interests in mind to speak for you. They can talk to the police, to the prosecution, and even to the judge on your behalf. An experienced attorney knows what to say and, more importantly, what not to say.

Depending on the unique facts of your case, a skilled attorney may be able to get your charges reduced or even possibly dropped. Your attorney may be able to negotiate with the prosecuting attorney and get a favorable plea deal for you. Even if you are found guilty of intoxication assault, the statute provides the judge with a great deal of discretion with respect to sentencing. If you have legal representation, you may receive a more lenient sentence than if you do not have an attorney representing you.

There is always the possibility that the injured victim may succumb to their injuries. If that happens, the prosecution may amend the complaint, and you may now face the much more serious charge of intoxication manslaughter. Because of the more serious nature of this crime, the potential penalties are greater. Should this horrible turn of events take place, it is even more important to have a well-qualified attorney represent you from the beginning of your journey through the criminal justice system.

Why Choose Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter to Represent You?

Mark T. Lassiter worked as a prosecuting attorney for the Dallas County district attorney’s office. In that role, he prosecuted numerous defendants for intoxication assault. He will use his knowledge and experience to zealously represent you. Mr. Lassiter will use his excellent negotiation skills to try to get the charges you are facing dropped or reduced. If you are convicted, he can try to minimize any penalty that you are given. He can also try to get any record of conviction for intoxication assault expunged so that your conviction does not negatively impact the remainder of your life.

Mr. Lassiter has been recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer. He has also been named one of the top 100 trial lawyers. He is admitted to practice in both Texas state court and in federal court.

Types of Intoxication Assault Cases We Handle

Intoxication assault occurs when your operation of a motor vehicle, watercraft, aircraft, amusement ride, or mobile amusement ride while intoxicated results in the serious bodily injury of another. The fact that you didn’t mean to hurt anyone doesn’t matter. The law defines serious bodily injury as an injury that results in a substantial risk of death or causes serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of any organ or bodily member.

Under Texas Penal Law, intoxication assault without aggravating circumstances is a third-degree felony. If there are aggravating circumstances, you may be charged with a second-degree felony. If you have been charged with a second-degree felony, you may face stiffer penalties, should you be convicted. Aggravating circumstances exist when your actions caused serious bodily injury to a law enforcement officer or an emergency medical services provider or a firefighter during the course of their official duties. Aggravating circumstances also exist when the serious bodily injury to another causes traumatic brain injury that results in a persistent vegetative state for the victim.

Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter will use its resources to investigate the circumstances of the accident. We will also review the police reports and hospital records and interview witnesses to determine what happened. Our investigation will shed light on the most important question: does the evidence even support a charge of intoxication assault? Even if the evidence supports such a charge, we may be able to argue to get the charges reduced or obtain a lesser penalty.

Penalties For Intoxication Assault

Intoxication assault convictions in Dallas are typically considered a felony, but the defendant may be charged with a second or third-degree felony conviction depending on the severity of the injuries inflicted upon the victim. If you were driving while under the influence in Dallas, inadvertently injured another individual, and are now fighting the legal repercussions, you may want to familiarize yourself with the penalties that accompany this conviction. Penalties may include:

A minimum of 2 years in Texas state prison (excluding the DWI charge). You may be sentenced to as much as ten years for third-degree intoxication assault and as much as 20 years for second-degree intoxication assault
Up to a $10,000 fine
Up to 1,000 hours of mandatory community service
Suspension or revocation of your driver’s license
Mandatory installation of an interlock ignition device to check your sobriety before driving

Other penalties and/or costs that you may incur if you are convicted of intoxication assault include:

Administrative and court fees
Mandatory attendance at a DWI education class
Required Drug or Alcohol Assessment
Random drug or alcohol testing
Mandatory alcohol or drug treatment program
The Texas Department of Public Safety may impose a Driver Responsibility Surcharge of $1,000 to $2,000 per year for three years
Expensive SR-22 insurance
Loss of the right to vote or own a gun due to a felony conviction on your record

The repercussions of intoxication assault in Dallas are extensive and long-lasting for the accused. Luckily, the Dallas intoxication assault attorneys at the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter are experienced in criminal defense and will aggressively fight to justify your case and decrease the charges you have received.

Contact a Dallas Intoxication Assault Attorney

We want to support our Dallas clients as best we can, and we won’t stop fighting their case until we have reaching the best possible solution. If you are facing an intoxication assault conviction and need experienced legal assistance, contact the qualified Dallas DWI defense at the Law Offices of Mark T. Lassiter today by calling (214) 845-7007.

TESTIMONIALS

Recommendation for Mark LassiterI am pleased to write a letter of recommendation. I highly recommend Mark Lassiter to others who are seeking such assistance. His representation allowed me to do very little in my case. It was Mark’s proven expertise and his legal knowledge that was valuable in getting my case dismissed. In short, I recommend Mark enthusiastically without reservation and I do believe he would be a valuable asset to you.

- Name Redacted

dear Markplease accept this letter on my and Susan’s behalf. there is a powerful message and testimony we would like to share with you for the first time.for over a year the weight of what happened to Reid was heavy on our souls. at first we held great anger, resentment and disgust toward Angel (the passenger). it became evident after turning 21 the Angel has a severe alcohol problem which my son nor us fully understood. The arrest also brought us great disappointment, frustration and disheartenment toward Reid.We have found that God often surprises us with his answers to our prayers. Prior to the arrest was had been in prayer that God help turn Reid away from selfishness, childishness and destructive ways. We prayed that God move to change him toward everlasting values and better choices in his life. We believe that God answered that prayer with the arrest. We blamed ourselves for bringing this calamity but understood it would take something this powerful to reach him. There is no doubt in our minds this ordeal has placed a permanent imprint on his soul.during the many delays associated with this case we were able to put forgiveness in our hearts toward Angel. Also during the many delays the full weight of the case in our and Reid’s mind triggered conversations pertaining to life decisions and direction. Time allowed us the opportunity to be rid of the noise and cloudiness of our emotions. We believe this to be a part of the master plan that God was overseeing.Only today did the full story become revealed. During this case with all the odds against us can we say without question that God was in it. How else could the series of events occurred within the judicial process that could put the opportunity in to your mind that there was a way to victory. The entire morning Susan and i were in fervent prayer even after your told us we had only a 25% chance of winning.Grace is the receipt of a blessing that is undeserved. Reid did not deserve to win today. We all are eternally marked by the message of grace given to us and you were the instrument that brought the gift to our house. Thank you from bottom of our souls and may God bless and keep you all of your days.

- Name Redacted

Dear Mr. Lassiter,Today you saved my son’s life. When he received a DWI, it broke my heart because I knew it would be on his record forever. It would limit his options in life. He would be paying for his stupid mistake for the rest of his life. At 21 years of age he was overwhelmed with the depth of the problem he created for himself.I decided to find him the best lawyer in Dallas, and I did. I researched lawyers for two days, and then I found you. I knew from the moment I read about you that you were the one we needed. When I met you, I knew instantly that I had complete confidence in you. Even if the result had ended with my son being guilty, I would have had peace knowing that he had had THE BEST lawyer.Listening to you “own” the courtroom today was amazing. You told us in the morning that we only had about 25% chance to win; however, by the middle of the afternoon the case was over before the prosecutors even finished, and we won! What an incredible lawyer you are!I will be grateful forever to you. Your work has given my son a second chance. He left the courtroom today with a whole new perspective on life…thanks to you!Very sincerely,

- Susan Ellis

unless you are already a petty criminal with countless B and C misdemeanors and a misdemeanor A pending, a DWI charge might not really matter much – for all the others counts: Fight it with all you got – get the best professional to your side you can find!Why should you? A simple google search “Texas DWI penalties” will give you an idea what you are looking at: prison, probation, fines, classes, ignition interlock, insurance rate skyrockets and a criminal record for life (yes – this can happen even for a first time DWI in Texas) Now if you read until this point you probably are charged with a DWI (or simply board) and you are shopping for a lawyer – so some basic guidance:a) Same as in real life: You want to be surrounded by people who know what they are talking about. Nobody likes people who constantly brag around, through around the usual business buzz words which doesn’t mean anything. So: Get somebody who is specialized in this field, means if 50% or more of his work is in the field of defending DWI’s that’s probably a good indicator– Mark is one of them – talk to him you will see!b) Educate yourself – thanks to a wonderful innovation by DARPA (which you are using in this moment) you can read all about it: What happened the night before, what’s a SFT, what is a legal stop, how does an Intoxilyzer 5000 work and what flaws does it have, possible plea bargain options (not so tempting ones in TX anyway) – read the stuff, it’s out there and discuss it with your attorney – if he doesn’t want or can’t answer your questions, that’s a pretty good indicator that your sitting in the wrong office, run!– Mark WILL answer your questions – and I’m convinced you cannot surprise him with a question in your case that he can’t answer or will find an answer for you!c) Your lawyer should – more or less – from the beginning be willing to take your case to Trial, all the way. What do you have to lose? If you are a BAC 0.28 candidate and you plea it down to a misdemeanor B it technically looks better on paper – but it will still follow you for life (most employers wouldn’t even consider the difference or know it – a DWI is a DWI…) If you are a BAC 0.09 candidate your chances are even better – (did you know the Intoxilyzer 5000 gives himself a +-0.02 calibration margin? What now, is a BAC 0.09 and hour after driving now under the legal limit? Guess what, the state will state “off course NOT! The magic machine proved he’s Intoxicated and guilty!” That’s why you need a lawyer on your side who is willing to take it to trial!– Mark is a trial lawyer – those people don’t want to plea out, they need the courtroom as their stage, that’s what they love to do, that’s what they are good at – so let him do it for you!d) Money / Costs – completely neglect. This is not the time for price comparison. You are not out there to shop for new hardwood floor for your living room – you are out there to get the best possible outcome in a situation which initial will hurt you if convicted pretty bad (financially), possible cost you your job, destroy your reputation and will follow you around for the rest of your natural life.– Mark will not overcharge you for his service, in my opinion you are getting a great deal. If you have the feeling you cannot afford a lawyer like Mark put it into perspective: if you hire a $500 lawyer and plead guilty maybe to a DWI misdemeanor B, you will pay much more over the years in court costs, classes, probation fees, DPS surcharges, insurance and and and… But if you hire Mark, you have one of the best at your side, you have a real chance – off course Mark isn’t a magic wizard who can make everything go away in a moment’s notice, but 5,10,20 years down the road you don’t want to think “oh boy, I wish I would have fought this thing more aggressively back then…” I was already a bit into my case when I met Mark. Mark has a can do attitude, does not try to beat around the bush and most importantly: He looks at things, tries different avenues, seeks out weaknesses in the case base on the evidence presented – if you meet him, you will have the same experience. During our meetings we discussed alternatives and other options e.g. expert witnesses, jury trial, bench trial, plea agreement (even if he didn’t like that – Mark doesn’t want to plea, he wants to win for his clients)And here is the outcome:A clear acquittal – NOT GUILTY(even better than a dismissal which technically can be reopened by the DA within the statute of limitations – if I understood that right – Not guilty means you are not guilty, case expunged – that’s the end of it!)Mark’s services helped me to get the best possible outcome you can expect when you are charged with a (DWI / DUI) crime and I hope I will never see him again….. (under such circumstances J ) –

- Daniel

I would never use or recommend anyone else for anybody else for a criminal manner.

- Cory M.

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