Houston DWI Lawyer — Ruben Restrepo
Arrested for DWI in Harris County? You have 15 days from the arrest to request a hearing, or the state suspends your license. I handle DWI cases myself — call or send a message and we start today.
★★★★★ 4.9 · 103 Google reviews · Free consultation · Flat fee · Se habla español
The clock started the night you were arrested.
DAY 0
The arrest
If you blew or gave blood over .08 — or refused — the Department of Public Safety moves to suspend your license automatically. Nobody explains this at the jail.
BY DAY 15
The ALR hearing request
You have 15 days from the arrest to request an Administrative License Revocation hearing. Request it and your license stays valid until the hearing. Miss it and the suspension happens without a fight — 90 days to a year for a failed test, 180 days to two years for a refusal.
FIRST 24 HOURS WITH ME
I file it
Hire me and the ALR request goes in within one business day. Then we start on the case itself — the stop, the tests, the evidence.
Already past day 15? Your license isn’t gone yet. An occupational license can keep you driving to work, and the criminal case is a separate fight that’s still very much winnable. Call me.
How I defend a DWI case
1. The stop
Did the officer have a lawful reason to pull you over? If not, everything after it can be suppressed.
2. The roadside tests
Field sobriety tests are graded by the officer, on the side of a highway, at night. I compare what the body-cam shows to what the report claims.
3. The breath or blood test
Machines have maintenance logs. Blood draws have warrants, chain-of-custody records and lab procedures. Errors in any of them can get the result thrown out.
4. The video
Dash-cam and body-cam footage often tells a different story than the offense report. I get it and I watch all of it.
I’ve done this hundreds of times in Harris County and the surrounding counties, and hundreds of those cases ended in dismissal. Whether it’s your first offense or not, the process is the same: I look for the weak link, and I don’t plead a case that can be won.
What Texas law says
BAC limits. For drivers 21 and over, a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher is legally intoxicated. Commercial drivers: .04. Under 21: any detectable alcohol. You can also be charged below .08 if the officer claims you’d lost the normal use of your faculties — which is why the video matters.
Implied consent. By driving in Texas you’ve agreed to a breath or blood test if arrested for DWI. Refusing doesn’t make the case go away — it triggers a longer license suspension (180 days to two years), and the officer will usually get a warrant for blood anyway. Refusal cases can still be won; the suspension is what we fight first at the ALR hearing.
First-offense penalties. A first DWI in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor: up to $2,000 in fines (more at .15 or higher), 3 to 180 days in jail, a license suspension of up to a year, and annual surcharges. Most first offenders never see a day in jail — but a conviction is permanent. That’s the outcome we’re working to avoid.
What clients say after their case is over
★★★★★ “I just went to trial with Ruben Restrepo. Ruben proved it was an illegal arrest and there was an in-court dismissal. I couldn't be happier.” — Marnie Lewis · DWI · Dismissed
★★★★★ “He works very diligently and gives it to you raw as far as being upfront about your case. He got my case dismissed even when it was a misunderstanding.” — Erica Hilliard · Dismissed
★★★★★ “Amazing lawyer, very professional, highly recommend!” — Tory Singleton · Google review
THE COST OF DOING NOTHING
A DWI conviction in Texas costs about $14,455.*
That’s the average — lost license, lost income while you can’t drive, court costs, and insurance that goes up for years. It’s also a permanent criminal record that shows up on every job and apartment application. A dismissal costs you a phone call.
*Potsdam University, average cost of a DWI conviction in Texas.
ONE FLAT FEE. NO SURPRISE BILLS.
A DWI defense with me is one number, agreed before we start, and it covers the whole case — the ALR hearing, the motions, and trial if it comes to that. There’s a discount for paying in full and payment plans for everyone else.
The full fee schedule — DWI, assault and other charges, the pay-in-full discount and payment plans — is on the fees page.
Not ready to call? Send me the basics.
My office answers 8 a.m.–9 p.m. — a real person, not a menu — and calls back within minutes. Ask for me and I’ll call you myself as soon as I’m out of court. Nothing you write here is shared with anyone.
Prefer to text? (713) 714-7330
Office: 440 Louisiana St, Suite 937, Houston 77002
Sending this doesn't make me your lawyer yet — it just lets me call you back. Don't include details about the night of the arrest here; save those for our call.