DWI Lawyer in Williamson County, TX

DWI Lawyer in Williamson County, TX

Call (512) 369-3737 — We Answer 24 Hours a Day

If you were charged with DWI in Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Leander, Hutto, or anywhere in Williamson County, your case is not in Austin. It is in the Williamson County courts in Georgetown — and those courts operate differently from Travis County in ways that most Austin DWI attorneys never explain to their clients.

The Law Office of David D. White has a physical office in Georgetown at 706 Rock St. Taylor Kacir, our associate attorney and Former Senior Misdemeanor County Attorney at the Bell County Attorney’s Office, manages that office and handles Williamson County DWI cases directly. David White has been appearing in Williamson County courts for 22 years.

You do not need an Austin attorney who drives to Georgetown when they have to. You need an attorney who is already there.

(512) 369-3737 — Free consultation. Available 24 hours.

What Most Austin DWI Attorneys Never Tell Williamson County Clients

The one thing defendants charged with DWI in Williamson County need to understand — and that most Austin attorneys never explain — is that deferred adjudication on a DWI is far more damaging than it appears.

Since September 1, 2019, Texas law allows deferred adjudication for certain first-time DWI offenses under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 42A.102. Most attorneys tell their clients the straightforward part: complete the probation and the case will be dismissed. That is true. What those same attorneys do not explain is what happens years later — when the client is arrested for a second DWI and discovers it is being charged as a DWI 2nd, with significantly higher penalties, because the prior deferred adjudication counts as a prior offense for enhancement purposes.

This is not a technicality buried in fine print. It is written directly into the law. The Texas legislature made DWI deferred adjudication available in 2019 as a compromise — and the price of that compromise was the enhancement provision. A successfully completed DWI deferred adjudication — a dismissed case — can still be used by the State to enhance a future DWI charge. The dismissal does not wipe the slate for enhancement purposes.

Who qualifies for DWI deferred adjudication in Texas:

• First-time DWI only — no prior DWI convictions
• BAC between .08 and .14 — if your BAC was .15 or higher you are not eligible
• No commercial driver’s license or CDL permit
• No child passenger in the vehicle
• No accident causing injury or death
• Must waive the right to a jury trial and plead guilty or no contest before a judge only

The record consequences that most attorneys skip over:

Deferred adjudication is not expungeable. Completing the program does not make you eligible for expunction — the complete destruction of the record. Only a nondisclosure order is available, which seals the record from public view but does not destroy it. Law enforcement can still see it. Certain licensing agencies can still access it.

Nondisclosure is not automatic. Your attorney must petition the court for nondisclosure after you complete the deferred adjudication and after the applicable waiting period. It does not happen on its own.

The BAC nondisclosure trap. If your BAC at the time of the offense was .15 or higher — even if you were charged with a lower offense — you may be ineligible for nondisclosure entirely. Nondisclosure eligibility is determined by whether the offense was punishable as a Class A misdemeanor or higher, not the charge you actually received.

Deferred adjudication is sometimes the right strategic choice when fighting the case is not viable. But it should be a knowing choice made with full understanding of the enhancement exposure, the nondisclosure limitations, and the professional licensing implications.

Before accepting deferred adjudication on any Williamson County DWI charge, call us. We will tell you exactly what that disposition means for your record, your future, and your exposure if you are ever arrested again.

The Williamson County DWI Courts

DWI cases in Williamson County are heard based on the charge level.

First and second offense DWI — misdemeanors — are heard in the Williamson County Courts at Law. There are three: County Court at Law #1, #2, and #3. All are in the Williamson County Courthouse in Georgetown.

Felony DWI — third offense or higher, DWI with a child passenger, intoxication manslaughter, and intoxication assault — are heard in the district courts. The 277th District Court and the 368th District Court handle felony DWI cases in Williamson County.

The ALR hearing — the Administrative License Revocation proceeding that determines whether your license is suspended — is separate from the criminal case and is heard by the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The ALR hearing must be requested within 15 days of your arrest.

The 15-Day ALR Deadline

This is the most urgent deadline in any Texas DWI case, including Williamson County DWI cases.

From the date of your arrest, you have 15 days to request an ALR hearing with the Texas Department of Public Safety. If you miss this deadline, your license is automatically suspended — 90 days for a first offense where you submitted to testing, 180 days if you refused.

Requesting the hearing does two things. It delays the automatic suspension while the hearing is pending. It also gives your attorney the opportunity to subpoena the arresting officer and take their testimony under oath before the criminal case goes forward. That testimony locks in the officer’s account and becomes invaluable if the account later contradicts the body camera footage.

Taylor Kacir recently won an ALR hearing on the merits in Williamson County — an outcome that is genuinely rare — when she contested our client’s detention for sitting in his vehicle in a Georgetown parking lot in the early evening. The Administrative Law Judge ruled the officer lacked reasonable suspicion for the detention. The ruling saved our client’s license and established the foundation to get the underlying DWI dismissed in the criminal case.

Winning an ALR hearing on the merits requires knowing the law, knowing the facts, and knowing the forum. It happens when the attorney is prepared and the legal argument is right.

How Williamson County DWI Cases Are Different

Williamson County prosecutors assess their cases carefully. They are not pushover prosecutors, but they are also not interested in pursuing cases they cannot win. When the evidence has legal problems — an unlawful stop, an improperly obtained blood draw, a field sobriety test administered off protocol — a well-prepared defense argument gets a genuine hearing.

The court culture in Williamson County is different from Travis County. The judges are different. The prosecutors are different. The tendencies of each court on suppression motions, bond reduction, and plea negotiations are different. An attorney who appears in these courts regularly has an advantage that cannot be replicated by an Austin attorney who drives up for an occasional hearing.

Taylor Kacir is in Williamson County courts regularly. She knows these prosecutors and these courts. That knowledge is built case by case over time. It is not transferable and it cannot be manufactured from an Austin office.

DWI Defenses in Williamson County

The same constitutional protections that apply in Travis County apply in Williamson County. The Fourth Amendment does not change at the county line. If your stop was in Travis County rather than Williamson County, see our Austin DWI attorney page.

Unlawful Stop or Detention

The most powerful DWI defense in any Texas court. If the officer lacked reasonable suspicion for the traffic stop or the initial detention, everything that follows is suppressible. Reasonable suspicion requires specific, articulable facts — not a hunch, not a generalized suspicion, not the time of night or the location of the vehicle.

Weaving within a lane. Exiting a highway without signaling. Sitting in a parking lot. None of these alone meet the reasonable suspicion standard. Body camera footage frequently contradicts the officer’s written account. When the video wins that argument, the stop falls apart and the evidence goes with it.

Unlawfully Prolonged Detention

Under Rodriguez v. United States (2015), a traffic stop cannot be extended beyond the time reasonably required to complete its purpose without independent reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. If officers in Williamson County extended the stop to call a K-9 unit or conduct additional questioning without legal justification, the evidence from that extended detention is suppressible.

Improper Field Sobriety Tests

The Standardized Field Sobriety Tests are only scientifically valid when administered exactly according to NHTSA protocol. Officers routinely deviate from the protocol in ways that affect the reliability of the results. We review the video against the protocol on every case.

Blood Draw Challenges

Williamson County law enforcement agencies seek blood warrants when drivers refuse breath tests. The warrant affidavit, the draw procedure, and the lab analysis of the sample are all subject to challenge through a motion to suppress. A blood test result that is inadmissible does not prove intoxication.

Williamson County DWI Charge Levels and Penalties

First Offense DWI — Class B Misdemeanor
Up to 180 days in jail | Up to $2,000 fine | 90-day license suspension
Annual surcharge of $1,000-$2,000 for 3 years | Possible ignition interlock

First Offense DWI .15 or Higher — Class A Misdemeanor
Up to 1 year in jail | Up to $4,000 fine | Enhanced surcharges
Ignition interlock typically required as bond condition

Second Offense DWI — Class A Misdemeanor
Up to 1 year in jail | Up to $4,000 fine | 180-day license suspension
Mandatory ignition interlock

Third Offense DWI — Third-Degree Felony
2 to 10 years in prison | Up to $10,000 fine | Permanent felony record
Heard in Williamson County district courts — 277th or 368th

DWI with Child Passenger Under 15 — State Jail Felony
180 days to 2 years in state jail | Up to $10,000 fine
Felony charge regardless of BAC or prior record

Intoxication Assault — Third-Degree Felony
DWI causing serious bodily injury | 2 to 10 years | Up to $10,000

Intoxication Manslaughter — Second-Degree Felony
DWI causing death | 2 to 20 years | Up to $10,000

The Georgetown Office — Built for Williamson County DWI Cases

706 Rock St, Georgetown, TX 78626.

Taylor Kacir is in that office daily. When you have a bond hearing, a suppression hearing, or a status conference in the Williamson County Courthouse, she does not drive from Austin. She is already there.

When you need to meet with your attorney before a court date, you come to Georgetown rather than fighting Austin traffic. When something gets added to the docket on short notice, this office can respond immediately.

If your DWI arrest was in Williamson County, the Georgetown office is where your defense starts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is deferred adjudication available for DWI in Williamson County?

No. Deferred adjudication is not available for DWI in Texas — this applies statewide, including Williamson County. A plea to a reduced charge with deferred adjudication on the lesser offense is sometimes offered, but this arrangement has significant consequences for your record and future DWI exposure that are not always explained. Call us before accepting any plea on a DWI charge.

Can a Williamson County DWI be dismissed?

Yes. The same suppression arguments that produce DWI dismissals in Travis County apply in Williamson County. If the stop lacked reasonable suspicion, if the detention was unlawfully prolonged, or if the blood draw was improperly obtained, a motion to suppress can eliminate the State’s evidence. Taylor Kacir recently won an ALR hearing on the merits in Williamson County — a genuinely rare outcome — when she successfully argued a parking lot detention lacked reasonable suspicion. That ruling led to dismissal of the underlying DWI charge.

What is the difference between a Williamson County DWI and a Travis County DWI?

The law is the same. The courts are different. The prosecutors are different. The judges are different. Williamson County prosecutors assess their cases seriously and pursue those they believe they can win. A well-prepared defense with sound legal arguments gets a real hearing. An attorney who appears regularly in these specific courts has a genuine advantage.

Can I meet with an attorney in Georgetown rather than Austin?

Yes. Taylor Kacir is available for in-person consultations at 706 Rock St in Georgetown. If you were arrested in Williamson County, coming to the Georgetown office is more convenient than driving to Austin and gives you direct access to the attorney who will be handling your case in the Williamson County courts.

How much does a Williamson County DWI lawyer cost?

At the Law Office of David D. White, first-offense DWI cases are handled on a flat fee starting at $5,000. Felony DWI cases start higher. Fees are discussed in the free initial consultation. Call (512) 369-3737.

Call the Georgetown Office — We Are Already in Williamson County

Law Office of David D. White, PLLC — Georgetown
706 Rock St | Georgetown, TX 78626
(512) 369-3737

Taylor Kacir is in the Georgetown office daily and handles Williamson County DWI cases directly. David White has been appearing in Williamson County courts for 22 years.

Kenneth Hines and Taylor Kacir answer after-hours calls at (512) 369-3737. You will reach a person, not a voicemail.

Austin office:
608 W 12th St, Suite B | Austin, TX 78701