Everyone is familiar with Texas Department of Transportation’s (TXDOT) ongoing drunk driving campaign slogan, “Drink. Drive. Go to Jail.” Despite being an absolute misstatement of the law, this campaign slogan is so entrenched in our brains, for better or worse, that it is commonly believed. Many friends and prospective jurors tell me that they will not have one drink and drive, not because they feel unsafe to operate a vehicle, but because they fear getting pulled over an arrested for DWI. When you hear the commercials on the television or radio repeatedly, its understandable why people are afraid of their government. When you hear news stories about how many DWI cases are dismissed because of bad arrests, you should be concerned.
If it is still legal to drink and drive, then why are we relying on this statistic to make tougher laws? TXDOT is manipulating data to get more money at your expense. Not only are your tax dollars being misallocated, but your freedom, your quality of life are being invaded. When I hear people say that they will not have a glass of wine at dinner with their spouse and then drive because they don’t want to be arrested for DWI, I shake my head. I’m disgusted that we are so fearful of those commissioned to protect us and serve us that we abstain from doing what the law says we can do!!! This is the precise reason I am a defense attorney. I’m not afraid of the government, the government should be afraid of me. I have a job that allows me to hold them accountable for their disgusting actions, and on occasion, I get the satisfaction of seeing the burdens they try to impose on us lifted. The government should be afraid of you! You have the ability to stand up and say “no more of this sh*t!!!” You won’t be intimidated by their Draconian policies or No Refusal Weekends. If the government will not listen to you then you will put someone else in their place that will.