I've been in and out of legal trouble most of my life, so it's easy for a lot of people to believe I deserved the DWI arrest. I have a lot of speeding and parking tickets, so it's easy for people to assume that if I'm reckless there, why wouldn't I be reckless enough to drink and drive? The cop must have thought the same thing when he pulled me over and saw my driving record. In hindsight, I shouldn't have argued with the cop, and to be honest, I think that's why he had me arrested for a DWI instead of just giving me a ticket. My car got impounded and I had to call my friend to pick me up from the station, just so the cop can stick it to me.
It's one thing to be punished for what you actually did. But to have to accept a black mark on my record for something I didn't even do was ridiculous. But no one wanted to listen. My reputation was enough for people to believe everything the cop said.
I knew that if I was going to have any chance in fighting this charge, I needed to get a really good DWI attorney. My friend recommended that I call Matthew Shrum, who has an office in Austin. I got an in depth free consultation, explaining to me what my options were, and just how good a chance I had of beating the charge.
I decided I liked what I heard, so I retained them for my defense and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Matthew really outlined everything I should expect and prepared me on what to say and not say, so I don't incriminate myself. He explained that the cop really didn't have strong evidence that I was drunk driving, and that my biggest crime was being argumentative, which I do regret. But still, I don't think I deserve to be arrested for a DWI just because I complained!
He got the charges dropped, much to my relief. He made it clear to the judge that I was not driving under the influence, and that it was just a matter of interpretation. If you ever get charged with a DWI, Matt's definitely the right lawyer for the job.
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