Houston car accident lawyers mention a Texas District and County Attorneys Association seminar in Wichita Falls on Friday brought together a group of the top experts in the field of DWI enforcement to discuss current DWI issues and trends in the state. Among those addressing the law enforcement officials gathered for the seminar were Assistant District Attorney John Gillespie who started the impaired drivers prosecution unit within the District Attorney’s office and Clay Abbott, a renowned DWI prosecutor from Austin, TX.
On the seminar’s agenda was discussion of a defense gaining popularity among defendants during their DWI jury trials. The defendants are claiming that they didn’t start drinking until after their wrecks. The defense claims that the wreck so upset the defendant/driver that he started drinking afterwards and so… by the time police and other authorities reached the scene of the accident, these officers found the previously sober driver drunk behind the wheel….
(Our Houston car accident lawyers ask: Would you believe this defense? Would you even find it particularly clever? Is one of the underlying premises of this defense that these drivers keep a handy supply of alcohol on hand in their vehicles just in case they should cause a wreck and become upset by its effects? And if they have the “foresight” to lay in a stock of alcohol as a precaution against become too upset after they cause a crash, why don’t they have the foresight to take the safety precautions that would prevent them from causing wrecks in the first place? Just wondering….)
The Houston car accident lawyers at Denena & Points note that local Houston billionaire John Goodman just tried this somewhat novel defense at his Florida trial following a fatal DWI accident. It apparently failed to win over the jurors who found him guilty as charged.
If you’re injured by a drunk driver who’s trying to weasel out of responsibility for the accident, contact us for a free legal consultation. We could help you hold the negligent driver liable for your harm and help you win the full financial recovery you deserve after your needless injuries.