A New York mother is facing felony drunk driving charges after she was found driving drunk with her 2 year-old daughter in the car. Driving with a passenger younger than 16 years-old is a felony offense under Leandra’s Law. The law is named after an 11 year-old girl who was killed in 2009 when her friend’s mother drove them, while intoxicated, to a sleepover and crashed.

The woman was pulled over by police after she was seen swerving between the lanes, driving 15 mph in a 35 mph zone, and idled at a stop light for at least two cycles. She failed field sobriety tests and a breath test showed her blood alcohol level was 0.28, more than three times over the legal limit of 0.08.

If you or someone you love is facing felony DUI charges, contact the Houston DWI with a minor attorneys of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. by calling 713-222-0400.

An allegedly drunk driver in Houston is accused of striking and killed a pedestrian Tuesday.

According to Houston police, 49 year-old James John Onak struck and killed Fadel Steadman and kept going after the victim had crashed through the windshield and landed next to him in the passenger’s seat. Police say Steadman’s car broke down in the emergency lane around 12:30 a.m. and he was running back and forth across the freeway when he was struck.

Authorities say Onak did not realize what had happened until he was pulled over by police 10 minutes after the Houston drunk driving accident. Police say Onak claimed he was aware he hit something, but not that a body was lying beside him.

Investigators say toxicology results are expected in the next few days.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Authorities announced plans to launch a month-long initiative to reduce drunk driving accidents in the Houston area beginning June 10.

The Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced the initiative at a press conference Wednesday. The increased effort to prevent alcohol-related crashes begins Friday and will last through the July Fourth weekend.

More than 23 regional law enforcement agencies spanning three counties committed to having an increased presence in the Houston-Metropolitan area to target intoxicated drivers. According to officials with the Houston Police Department, the initiative is designed to reduce drunk driving accidents and associated fatalities by a combination of public education and heightened enforcement of drunk driving offenses.

The initiative was spurred by a recent report that Harris County leads the nation in alcohol-related fatalities.

If you have been charged with DUI or DWI in Houston, please contact the Houston Drunk Driving Attorneys of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.

A man was arrested for DWI in Houston Saturday night after crashing into a METRO bus.

According to officials with the Houston Police Department, the accident occurred shortly after 11:00 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of Scott Street and Dennis Street. Police say a METRO bus was traveling south on Scott when a car heading east on Dennis ran a stop sign. The car collided with the front of the bus in the intersection.

According to the accident report, there were about eight passengers on board the bus at the time of the crash. No one on the bus was injured in the accident. The driver of the car was checked by paramedics and arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated. The identity of the driver has not been released.

If you or someone you know is facing charges of drunk driving in Houston, please contact the Houston Drunk Driving Attorneys of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C., at 713-222-0400.

The trial of a Houston Police officer charged with driving while intoxicated began Tuesday morning.

Officer Ruben Trejo of the Houston Police Department was charged with DWI after a crash with a school bus in Houston last week. Police originally cited the school bus driver in the accident, but witnesses claimed Trejo ran a stop sign, causing the crash. The bus driver told police Trejo smelled of alcohol after the crash. A bottle of
wine was found in his squad car.

According to court documents, investigators claimed Tuesday morning that Trejo’s blood alcohol content was .176 at the time of the accident, more than twice the legal limit in Houston.

Trejo’s attorney, Paul Nugent, said he did not believe his client received special treatment from the police department. “We feel Sergeant Trejo was treated fairly and he was not on-duty at the time of the accident,” Nugent said.

Internal Affairs is now investigating the crash. Trejo has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

If you have been charged with a DWI or WUI in Houston, please contact the Houston Drunk Driving Lawyers of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C. by calling 713-222-0400.

A Houston man involved in a fatal car accident Sunday was arrested on drunken driving charges.

According to investigators with the Houston Police Department, 27 year-old Porfiro Curz Almendarez was charged with driving while intoxicated early Sunday morning. Police say Almendarez was driving a green Mazda 626 and turning south onto Campbell Road shortly after 2:00 a.m. when he allegedly failed to yield the right of way.

Almendarez allegedly pulled in front of a black Mitsubishi Lancer that was traveling east on Clay Road. The Mazda and the Mitsubishis collided in the intersection, authorities said.

The female driver of the Mitsubishi was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Her identity has not been released.

If you have been charged with drunk driving in Houston, please contact the Houston drunk driving attorneys of Johnson, Johnson & Baer P.C. at 713-222-0400.

A man in Montgomery County was sentenced to 99 years in prison after being convicted of driving while intoxicated for the 16th time.
According to Montgomery County prosecutors, 52 year-old James Steven Corley was pulled over for a broken taillight in August. He was arrested for felony DWI after a breathalyzer test showed his blood-alcohol content to be .10. The legal limit in Texas is .08.
“This defendant is an extremely dangerous driver,” Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Warren Dipramm said at the trial. “Practically every time he’s getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, according to the testimony, he is driving drunk. He testified that whenever he does it, he doesn’t think about anybody who is on the street with him. It’s all about him; all about getting drunk.”
Corley was sentenced as a habitual offender to 99 years in prison. He is eligible for parole in 10 years.
If you have been charged with drunk driving in Texas, please contact the Houston Drunk Driving Lawyers of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.

A House committee was urged by lawmakers Tuesday to repeal the Texas Driver Responsibility Program.

The goal of the Texas Driver Responsibilty Program was to stick people convicted of drunken driving with large surcharges, on top of regular fines and punishment. The revenue from the three-year-long surcharges was supposed to go to hospital trauma centers and highway projects.

Critics of the program told a House committee on Tuesday that it has failed to live up to the original goals of the Legislature. “This is a classic example of legislation that had incredible unintended consequences,” said Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth. “IT was an ill-conceived law and an example of bad tax policy.”

Opponents of the program cited a recent report from the Senate Criminal Justice Committee that found the program had actually decreased DWI conviction rates and increased dismissal rates since it was implemented in 2003. Thousands of drunken driving defendants have asked for a trial, in order to avoid the DWI surcharges, forcing prosecutors to accept plea bargains for lesser offenses such as reckless driving.

If you have been charged with DWI in Houston, please contact the Houston drunk driving lawyers of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.

Authorities have announced a state-wide initiative intensifying DWI patrols during spring break.

According to a statement released by the Texas Highway Patrol, troopers will be out in force across the state at popular spring break locations deemed to be “high-risk.” The statement was addressed state-wide so it did not specify Houston-specific locations.

The Houston Police Department will be working with the Texas Highway Patrol, increasing police presence in the city from March 12-20. Police will also dispatch additional blood alcohol testing vehicles, known as BAT vans, around the city.

In the statement, the Highway Patrol also mentioned underage drinking. Authorities encouraged college and high school students to remember that it is illegal to drink while under the age of 21.

If you have been charged with DWI or DUI in Houston, please contact the Houston Drunk Driving Attorneys of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.

Harris County has the most driving while intoxicated fatalities in the United States, and Houston Police say new “BAT” vans will prevent this statistic from lingering.

According to officials with the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Department, new Blood Alcohol Testing vans will be dispatched in an effort to combat drunk driving. Called “BAT” vans, the new vehicles will be stationed around Houston in hopes of getting drunk drivers off the streets.

Deputies say the “BAT” vans will be stationary. When a patrol officer suspects a driver is intoxicated, the suspect will be taken to a van where they will be processed and given a breathalyzer test. Depending on the outcome of the breathalyzer test, a suspect will be put in the holding area at the back of the van.

If you have been charged with drunk driving in Harris County, please contact the Houston Drunk Driving Lawyers of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.