How many years for intoxicated manslaughter

Part of beating this charge is establishing whether being intoxicated contributed in any way to the death of the other party.

Typically, the court also mandates supervised probation or community supervision. If you want to defend an intoxicated manslaughter charge in Texas, then you have to prove that your driving under the influence wasn't directly related to the person's death. You can establish this through eyewitness testimony, video footage, and reasonable doubt. Lawyers are keen to establish reasonable doubt in these cases, particularly when the intoxication charge is based on a light amount of alcohol.

For example, say you were driving home after having a beer and your blood alcohol was at. A person runs through a red light, causing a collision with you that results in their death.

In this scenario, you being intoxicated wouldn't be the cause of the injuries and death. Though you may still be guilty of a DWI, the other person was responsible for the accident because they ran a red light. Their own actions resulted in their death. There is another way that charges can be beaten through the "time of driving" rule. Lawyers may use this defense to establish reasonable doubt as to whether you were intoxicated at the time the accident occurred.

In the state of Texas, the prosecution must prove that you were intoxicated at the time of the accident in order to convict you. The science of determining intoxication is extremely faulty and may be effectively proven inadmissible in court. There are various penalties on the table depending on certain factors related to your case. These circumstances include:. These circumstances may change the felony charges from a second-degree to a first-degree, which means the defendant faces life in prison if convicted.

If you are facing intoxication manslaughter charges, you need someone in your corner who understands Texas law and who will fight to reduce the charges against you. The Neal Davis Law Firm is well-trained and knowledgeable in these types of cases. Get Your Free Copy Now. Read All Reviews. While based in Houston, our law firm provides knowledgeable representation and comprehensive legal services for individuals throughout Texas, including:. A principle of the American criminal justice system is that all defendants are "innocent until proven guilty.

Update: Effective as of September 1, , there are additional fines required to be imposed on intoxication-related offenses, including Intoxication Manslaughter. Learn more about these changes below.

A person can also be charged with Intoxication Manslaughter if he or she killed someone as a result of operating a different kind of vehicle or assembling an amusement park ride while drunk or on drugs. Intoxication Assault is also very similar to Intoxication Manslaughter , but Intoxication Assault requires only serious bodily injury while Intoxication Manslaughter requires the death of an injured person. When you are accused, you may feel pressured to plead guilty even if you are not guilty of the charge.

But you must resist. Do not plead guilty until you talk to us. It is important that your best interests are protected by an Intoxication Manslaughter attorney during this time. We are dedicated to representing you and obtaining the best outcome for you and your family. While the facts are different in every case, we always conduct thorough investigations and do not rely on the police investigations alone.

We regularly encounter extremely poor investigations by the police, and we do not recommend that you let your freedom depend on these substandard government investigations. If you have been arrested for Intoxication Manslaughter , please contact us to schedule a consultation at or schedule an in-person meeting in our Dallas office by filling out our form online. HB , 86th Texas Legislative Session , created additional fines for all offenses relating to the operating of a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

You can be charged with Intoxication Manslaughter if the police or the state attorneys believe that you did what the Intoxication Manslaughter offense describes. You can be charged whether or not you are actually guilty of the crime, and you can be charged whether it was your passenger or another person that was killed.

We interviewed 12 attorneys. Brent Mayr stood head and shoulders above the other Intoxication Manslaughter specialists in the Houston area. Mayr helped us through the entire, difficult process. In fact, he is still helping us recover from the immense challenges one faces in an intoxication manslaughter case. We were very impressed with the overall management of the case to include pretrial negotiation with the prosecution.

It was decided to go to trial. Mayr was very effective in every phase, especially impressive in jury selection, expert witness selection and preparation, presenting the case and preparing the jury for sentencing. We were thrilled with the outcome. He truly has been a counselor to us throughout the entire process and remains a source of support to this very day.

What is Intoxication Manslaughter in Texas? Criminal Defense Attorney Defending Intoxication Manslaughter Charges in Woodlands and Houston The best criminal defense attorney has to not just know the law, but understand the factual and legal complexities that arise with certain types of criminal cases.