A 37-year-old Houston police office has been charged with driving while intoxicated when he failed to stop at a red light ultimately crashing into another car. The police officer was not on duty at the time of the accident.

The car accident took place on the officer’s birthday.

The officer is also being charged with carrying a weapon in his motor vehicle at the time of the accident. After speeding through a red light, the officer struck an oncoming car which caused the vehicle the officer was operating to flip, landing on it’s roof. He refused to give a breath sample and did not pass multiple on-site intoxication tests.

The 37-year-old has been suspended with pay until the investigation of these allegations is complete.

If you have been charged with a DWI in the Houston area, please contact the Houston DWI defense attorneys of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. by calling 713-222-0400 today.

The accuracy of Houston’s Blood Alcohol Testing vans is being called into question in a new lawsuit.

Lawyers are questioning whether possible problems with the Houston Police Department’s BAT vans could compromise several dozen DWI cases. The vans are mobile testing centers used to test individuals who are suspected of driving drunk. Houston DWI attorneys and prosecutors have been in court for the past two days asking whether each $200,000 van has been giving faulty results leading to questionable citations. Dane Johnson and other members of Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C. have been actively investigating these claims and are prepared to help individuals who feel that they may have been falsely accused of DWI.

Former Houston Police Department Crime Lab worker Amanda Culbertson testified that she is one of three technical supervisors who quit after complaining up the chain of command about problems with the BAT vans and breathalyzer results. Culberton told the court she was “not satisfied with the department’s response to concerns” about the vans. She said supervisors acted like the problems were “no big deal.”

Culbertson told the court she noted electrical, mechanical, and temperature issues that could have impacted the equipment testing suspected drunk drivers.

The District Attorney’s Office would not comment on the issue.

If you have been charged with DWI, you need an experienced lawyer to fight the breathalyzer test results that may be used to convict you. To speak with a Houston DWI Attorney, please contact Johnson, Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.

An investigator with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office has been arrested on charges of drunk driving.

According to officials with the Austin Police Department, Bryan Vaclavik was arrested Sunday evening. Investigators say the incident began approximately 5:00 p.m. when Vaclavik collided with a woman’s vehicle as she backed out of her driveway on Wilson Street. Police say that Vaclavik drove away after the accident and collided with another parked car.

According to the arrest report, police found Vaclavik about an hour after the two accidents. He was a mile away and his car was parked on top of a fence. He was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and failure to stop and give information.

Vaclavik was the chief fraud examiner for the financial crimes division of the district attorney’s office.

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

Houston police arrested a man for driving while intoxicated Saturday night in what was the departmen’t first successful mobilization of a new police tool.

According to the Houston Police Department, its Breath Alcohol Testing Van was on patrol shortly after 12:00 a.m. Saturday when officers spotted a gray Ford Mustang that appeared to be driving erratically along the Gulf Freeway near Telephone Road. Authorities say the BAT Van attempted to stop the car, but the vehicle kept driving.

Officers in the BAT Van called for backup and other units to assist in the pursuit. Investigators said the incident did not become a high-speed chase, as the fleeing vehicle never went over the speed limit, however, the driver did refuse to stop, police said.

The driver eventually pulled over by the Katy Freeway at Patterson Street. He was arrested on charges of felony evading and DWI. Investigators said they found open beer bottles in the car.

Friday was the first night that the BAT Van was operational.

If you have been charged with drunk driving in Houston, please contact the Houston DWI 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.

Two men were arrested on DWI charges outside Houston last week.

According to officials with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, 35 year-old Roger D. Collins, of Ava, and 42 year-old Mykel W. Freeman, of Plato, were arrested for DWI over the weekend. Both men were arrested by the Texas State Patrol and handed over to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department.

Police said Collins was charged with a felony DWI – persistent offender, driving while revoked, failure to register motor vehicle, and inoperable license plate lamps. Collins was arrested and taken to the Texas County Jail.
Freeman was arrested early Saturday in Phelps County and charged with DWI, speeding, and wearing no seatbelt. He was also transported to the Texas County Jail.

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

A Houston police has been arrested Saturday on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

According to officials with the Houston Police Department, 33 year-old police officer Jarrod Johnson has been charged with first-offense DWI. Police say Johnson was off duty when he was arrested shortly before 2:00 a.m. Saturday along Interstate 45 near Dallas Street.

According to the arrest report, Johnson was driving his personal vehicle at the time. Investigators say the eight-year veteran police officer was stopped after officers observed him driving erratically and swerving between lanes.

Johnson was released from custody after posting $500 bond.

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

A couple from Houston were arrested Sunday in Missouri on charges of driving while intoxicated.

According to officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 28 year-old Houston-resident Brian C. Smith was arrested shortly after 12:00 p.m. Sunday in Texas County. Police say Smith was charged with DWI-misdemeanor, and resisting arrest-misdemeanor. He was taken to the Texas County Jail for a 12-hour hold.

According to police records, Smith’s girlfriend, 21 year-old Houston-resident Keisha N. Kimrey was arrested later that day in Texas County. Police say Kimrey was charged with DWI, careless and imprudent driving, and wearing no seat belt. She was taken to county jail and released to a third party.

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

The Harris County District Attorney’s “No Refusal” anti-DWI program will expand operations this week for St. Patrick’s Day.

According to District Attorney Patricia Lykos, county-wide operations will expand to help protect the higher volumes of travelers expected for a trio of area festivities, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, St. Patrick’s Day, and spring break. The “No Refusal” program will extend beyond the normal weekend deployments in conjunction with area law enforcement agencies that will be increasing DWI enforcement patrols.

Chief of the District Attorney’s Vehicular Crimes Section, Catherine Evans, said the expansion of the anti-DWI program coincides with the series of events which have been linked to drinking and driving. “Our advice is always to enjoy these special festivities and celebrations,” Evans said. “Just be sensible and make smart choices.”

If you have been charged with DWI, please contact a Houston DWI Defense Attorney of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.

A new bill would require first-time DWI offenders in Texas to submit to breathalyzer tests before they can start their cars.

The bill, H.B. 189, was proposed by Rep. Todd Smith, R-Euless. The bill states that judges may grant first-time DWI offenders deferred adjudication, or delayed judgement on a charge, as long as the offender was not driving with a child younger than 15. If offenders are granted deferred adjudication, they would be required to install ignition interlocks in their vehicles to prevent them from driving under the influence during their probation periods.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has publicly voiced its support for the bill since its proposal. Spokesperson for MADD, Toni Logan, said the new bill would not allow a DWI charge to be removed if an individual was granted deferred adjudication. “In the court system, one thing we see a lot of is charges reduced so it doesn’t show a DWI,” Logan said. “There are multiple offenders out there who don’t have anything on their records. That’s not helping them to address the underlying behavior. This [bill] should be a really good alternative.”

If you have been charged with driving while intoxicated, please contact the Houston DWI Defense Lawyers of Johnson Johnson & Baer, P.C., by calling 713-222-0400.