Vehicle Seizures Planned for Texas DWI

Felony offenders for drunk driving in Montgomery County TX could permanently lose their vehicles.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's office is implementing an initiative to seize vehicles owned by drivers convicted of certain felony offenses. The plan is to confiscate vehicles of drivers on a fourth felony conviction for driving while intoxicated in Texas, as well as those convicted of fleeing from police or convicted of causing an accident with serious injury of death while drag racing.

According to Texas DWI law, property used during a drunk driving offense or boating while intoxicated offense can be confiscated if the defendant has three prior convictions for the same offense. The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure also allows for seizure of vehicles in certain cases of drag racing and those who attempt to evade arrest.

The DA’s office and law enforcement agencies involved in the program will be able to either use the seized vehicles or benefit from the proceeds of a sale or auction. When property is sold, thirty percent of any proceeds will go to the DA’s office, and the remainder, minus costs associated with the seizure, will go to the law enforcement agency involved with the arrest.

There are plans to purchase mobile breath testing machines with the proceeds from vehicle seizures. The county DA hopes to be able to seize enough vehicles to fund that. Montgomery County has the highest rate of per capita arrests for drunk driving in Texas. It is estimated that there are 1000 chronic offenders for DWI in the county.

The District Attorney’s office plans 'no refusal' weekends to crack down on TX DWI offenders by using warrants to demand blood samples to test for alcohol content. Additional efforts will target drunken boaters on area lakes.

Have you been charged with DWI in Montgomery County, TX?