Houston DWI Lawyers
If you’re facing DWI charges in Houston, you need to know something: Mark Thiessen isn’t just another criminal defense attorney. He’s the lawyer other trial lawyers call when they need the best. Tony Buzbee, one of the most respected and feared trial attorneys in the country, said it himself: “If you get a DWI anywhere in the country and you don’t call Mark Thiessen, you’re a fool.”
That’s not paid marketing. Tony has represented the Texas Attorney General, 150+ plaintiffs in cases against major corporations, and countless NFL players. When someone like that tells you who to hire, you listen. And Mark’s clients, who’ve seen those results firsthand across 140+ Not Guilty verdicts and 1000s of wins, couldn’t agree more.
No matter the details of your charge, Mark is the man to beat it. He’s dedicated his life to DWI law, is one of the only DWI specialists in Texas, and is the only lawyer in the state who is also certified as an ACS-CHAL Lawyer-Scientist by the American Chemical Society.
Don’t face DWI charges alone. You won’t find more aggressive trial attorneys to defend your DWI case than the team at Thiessen Law Firm. Call us today at (713) 864-9000 or contact us online to start fighting for your future.
Facing DWI charges in Houston?
If you’ve been charged with DWI in Houston and have yet to hire an attorney, you’re at a crossroads. The arrest is over, but the real fight is just beginning. Between the arrest paperwork, the booking process, the bail system, and the constant anxiety about your future, it’s easy to feel like the deck is stacked against you. But the reality is that with the right attorney, you can fight back — and win.
Texas takes DWI seriously. Our state has some of the strictest penalties in the country, and judges won’t go easy on you. But here’s what prosecutors don’t want you to know: DWI cases are winnable. Breath tests fail. Blood tests are compromised. Police cut corners. Field sobriety tests are scientifically questionable. The state’s case against you is rarely as solid as it appears.
At Thiessen Law Firm, we’ve spent decades turning DWI cases other attorneys wouldn’t touch into dismissals and Not Guilty verdicts. We know the science. We know the law. And we know how to beat DWIs.
Not Guilty
DWI 2nd / Texas v. M.F.
Harris County No. 9
10/22/21
.146 BREATH TEST NOT GUILTY!!! Client was leaving his girlfriends house and on his way home when he was pulled over for no head lights. They had been using his truck to listen to music in the driveway and forgot he turned off the automatic lights. Client was 6’2” 300 pounds. The Trooper tried to get client to do these tests and client performed as best as he could. The Trooper told the jury that he gave him credit for being a big guy, but in the end they saw that the client never stood a chance. This was a very arrogant Trooper that told mutual friends he could beat Mark on the Jiu jitsu mat and in the court house. However, probably not the best thing to leak back to Mark. The Trooper and his tests were slowly explained to show how unfair they were graded and in the end the Trooper admitted he couldn’t rule out Client’s size as the cause of any mistakes. The Trooper swore that he watched client for the required 15 minute observation period before the test, but when the timing was all lined up with the cameras, it became very clear that the Trooper cut corners and didn’t think defense would line it up. The breath test was properly suppressed by the Judge. With the DA refusing to dismiss it, the jury was given the case to decide and returned a quick Not Guilty verdict. Thank you to that Judge for following the law and the evidence. And thank you to that jury for remaining true to your doubts and not jumping to conclusions the way the Trooper did. And thanks to the Trooper for talking trash and letting it back to me, it made me be my best.
Why hire Thiessen Law Firm
The clock is ticking (The 15-day window and your ALR hearing)
You have a lot less time than you think to make a decision. You have 15 days from your arrest to request an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing — that’s it. Miss this deadline, and your license is automatically suspended, regardless of whether you’re convicted.
Think that’s just a license issue? It’s not. An automatic suspension means:
- Losing your driving privileges for months or even years
- Mandatory SR-22 insurance and significantly higher premiums
- Annual DPS surcharges of $1,000–$2,000 for three years
- Difficulty getting to work, caring for your family, or maintaining your life
An ALR hearing is a separate civil proceeding from your criminal case. It’s your only chance to challenge the suspension before it happens. Thiessen Law Firm wins 90–95% of ALR hearings. We save licenses. We preserve your ability to work and live while we fight your criminal case. And we start your case on the right foot.
If you hire a court-appointed attorney for your criminal defense, they cannot represent you in your ALR hearing. Even if they win your criminal case, you’ll still lose your license — and you’ll never be able to get the charge expunged from your record. That’s why hiring an experienced private attorney — if you can afford to — is generally the smartest investment you can make.
A charge is not a conviction
This is the fundamental truth that gets lost in the panic. You have been charged with DWI. You have not been convicted. Those are two very different things, and the distance between them is where we live.
The burden of proof falls on the prosecution. They must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you were intoxicated while driving. That’s a high bar, and it gets higher when you have an attorney who knows how to expose the weaknesses in their case.
Our clients have walked free from plenty of “unbeatable” cases. We’ve won trials with blood evidence. We’ve beaten breath tests, exposed flawed field sobriety protocols, and challenged illegal traffic stops. No matter what the state’s case is, it looks different when Mark Thiessen is in the room.
Mark Thiessen is a DWI maverick
Mark isn’t one of many DWI lawyers in Texas. He’s one of only five DWI specialists in the entire state — and of those five, he’s the only one who is also an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist certified by the American Chemical Society.
That credential means Mark understands the science behind your case better than most lab technicians. Mark sees BAC evidence as an opportunity to expose how the science and the machinery actually work — and show why they’re so unreliable. When a client’s blood test comes back high, Mark doesn’t see a conviction waiting to happen; he sees the chain of custody problems, the lab errors, the procedural violations that can tear the evidence apart.
His credentials speak for themselves:
- Quadruple Board Certified: Criminal Law (Texas Board of Legal Specialization), DUI Defense (National College for DUI Defense / ABA), DUI Law (DUI Defense Lawyers Association), and Board Certified Advocate in Criminal Trial Law (NBTA Foundation)
- 13-Time Texas Super Lawyer: Selected every consecutive year from 2013–2025
- 6-Time Top 100 Super Lawyer in Houston: Recognized among the absolute best in the region
- 4-Time Top 100 Super Lawyer in All of Texas: One of the most decorated criminal defense attorneys in the state
- ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist: The only credential that demonstrates mastery of both the law and the science
These aren’t just awards on a wall. They’re credentials that impact your case: Mark has a reputation in Texas courtrooms. When his name appears on a case, prosecutors know they’re in for a real fight.
We’ve won 1000s of cases for hardworking Texans
Numbers matter when your freedom is on the line. Thiessen Law Firm has secured over 140 Not Guilty verdicts at trial and gotten thousands of cases dismissed. These aren’t theoretical wins — they’re real people whose lives we’ve protected.
We represent the people prosecutors expect to roll over. We take cases other attorneys won’t touch. And we win them because we prepare like no one else and we’re willing to take cases all the way to trial.
Our clients aren’t always wealthy celebrities or corporate executives. They’re often teachers, construction workers, parents, people with jobs and families and mortgages — good people who made mistakes and found themselves facing life-altering criminal charges. We fight for them like they’re the only case that matters, because in our office, they are.
Types of DWI cases we handle
DWI first offense
A first offense DWI in Texas might feel survivable, but don’t be fooled. Even a first offense comes with serious consequences, and the penalties escalate dramatically if aggravating factors* are present.
A standard first offense DWI is charged as a Class B Misdemeanor. If your BAC was .15 or higher, or if there was an open container in your vehicle, the charge becomes a Class A Misdemeanor with harsher penalties. The difference between a Class B and Class A conviction affects everything from jail time to surcharges to your ability to get the charge expunged later.
The good news: first offense DWIs are exactly where we’ve built our reputation. We’ve gotten countless Texas DWI first offenses dismissed. We’ve won jury trials on cases that looked unwinnable. And we’ve helped clients avoid convictions that would have followed them for decades.
*Continue reading about aggravated DWI in Texas
DWI second offense
A second DWI in Texas is exponentially more serious. Unlike your first offense, a second conviction can never be sealed or expunged from your record. It stays with you forever. Judges are less sympathetic. Prosecutors are more aggressive. And the penalties jump significantly: up to $4,000 in fines, 30 days to one year in jail, and license suspension for 180 days to two years.
Many attorneys treat second offense DWIs as negotiation cases, and go in expecting to plead down. We treat them as trial cases — because with the right defense, you can still win. We’ve beaten second offense cases with blood tests over the legal limit. We’ve challenged the evidence, exposed police misconduct, and gotten juries to return not guilty verdicts even when prosecutors thought conviction was certain.
Third or subsequent DWI in Texas
A third DWI or subsequent offense is automatically a felony in Texas. You’re no longer talking about misdemeanor penalties; you’re facing 2 to 10 years in state prison, fines up to $10,000, permanent felony convictions, and the loss of rights that come with a felony record.
This is where Mark’s track record becomes essential. Few attorneys have successfully defended felony DWI cases. Even fewer have won them. Mark has. He’s beaten third and fourth offense DWI charges. He’s gone to trial and come back with Not Guilty verdicts for clients everyone else said were done.
DWI with child passenger
If you were driving with a passenger under 15 years old while intoxicated, you face DWI Child Passenger charges, which are state jail felonies. This is treated as one of the most serious DWI offenses, with penalties including 180 days to two years in state jail, fines up to $10,000, and a permanent felony record.
The prosecution will use the presence of a child to inflame the jury. We use the facts of your case, the evidence, and the science to create reasonable doubt. We’ve defended these cases successfully, and we’ll fight for you with the same intensity we bring to every case.
Intoxication manslaughter
Intoxication manslaughter is the most serious DWI charge in Texas. You’re facing 2 to 20 years in state prison, permanent felony conviction, and potentially devastating civil lawsuits from the victim’s family.
Very few attorneys have successfully defended intoxication manslaughter cases at trial. Mark Thiessen has. He’s won not guilty verdicts in intoxication manslaughter trials — including a quadruple intoxication manslaughter case where he was acquitted on all counts. These are the cases other lawyers won’t touch. These are the cases Thiessen Law Firm wins.
Penalties for DWI in Texas
The consequences of a DWI conviction extend far beyond just the criminal penalties, but those penalties are stark. Here’s what you’re facing at each level:
| Offense | Charge classification | Potential jail time | Maximum fine |
| DWI first offense | Class B misdemeanor | Up to 180 days | $2,000 |
| DWI first (BAC > .15%) | Class A misdemeanor | 30 days to 1 year | $4,000 |
| DWI second offense | Class A misdemeanor | 30 days to 1 year | $4,000 |
| DWI third or subsequent | Third degree felony | 2 to 10 years | $10,000 |
| DWI child passenger | State jail felony | 180 days to 2 years | $10,000 |
| Intoxication assault | Third degree felony | 2 to 10 years | $10,000 |
| Intoxication manslaughter | Second degree felony | 2 to 20 years | $10,000 |
Beyond the jail time and fines, a DWI conviction triggers additional financial penalties that can cost tens of thousands of dollars over several years.
DPS surcharges alone will cost you $1,000–$2,000 per year for three years. SR-22 insurance is mandatory and costs significantly more than standard coverage. An ignition interlock device, if ordered by the court, costs around $100 to install and $75–$100 per month to maintain. Mandatory alcohol education programs add hundreds more. Court costs, bail,* legal fees—the total financial impact of a conviction can easily amount to tens of thousands when all expenses are tallied.
But the non-financial consequences are even more devastating. A DWI conviction affects employment prospects, housing opportunities, professional licenses, immigration status, child custody determinations, and your ability to obtain loans or credit. A felony conviction strips away certain fundamental rights, including firearm ownership and voting.
A conviction irrevocably alters your life for the worse, quite literally. This is why fighting the charge — really fighting it — is worth every penny of your investment in criminal defense.
*Continue reading: How much is bail for a DWI?
How to win a DWI case in Texas
Many attorneys approach DWI cases with a mentality of damage control: minimize the sentence, negotiate a plea deal, hope for probation. That’s not how we work.
We approach every DWI case with the goal of winning it. Sometimes that means trial. Sometimes that means proving the evidence is so weak the prosecution has no choice but to dismiss. Here’s how we do it:
| Challenge the traffic stop |
| An illegal traffic stop taints everything that follows. We examine whether the officer had reasonable suspicion to pull you over in the first place. If the stop was unjustified, we file motions to suppress all evidence gathered as a result — and the case often collapses. |
| Attack the chemical tests |
| Breath tests are built on junk science. They’re prone to calibration errors, operator mistakes, and environmental factors that skew results. Blood tests aren’t foolproof either; they’re vulnerable to chain-of-custody problems, lab errors, and testing procedure violations. As a lawyer-scientist, Mark can explain these flaws to a jury in ways that expose how unreliable the state’s evidence actually is. |
| Expose field sobriety test failures |
| The one-leg stand test is only accurate 65% of the time. Horizontal gaze nystagmus tests are routinely administered incorrectly. Walk-and-turn tests are subjective and easily failed even by sober people. We know the protocols. We know where officers cut corners. We use that knowledge to create reasonable doubt. |
| Investigate police conduct |
| We don’t just review reports; we subpoena dashcam footage, maintenance records, dispatch logs, and officer history. We look for Miranda violations, unlawful searches, coercive questioning, and evidence of bias. Police misconduct can render an entire case inadmissible. |
| Build expert testimony |
| For complex cases, we partner with toxicologists, accident reconstructionists, and forensic experts who can testify to the scientific realities that contradict the prosecution’s narrative. |
Houston DWI lawyer FAQs
How much does a DWI lawyer cost in Texas?
A DWI lawyer’s cost will vary massively based on the complexity of the case and who you hire to take it. Generally speaking, the better the DWI lawyer, the more they’re going to cost. This doesn’t mean they’re charging exorbitant fees, it means that the time and resources it takes to get results in a court of law (especially for tough-to-win cases) add up. The cost of a DWI lawyer is almost always less than the cost of a DWI conviction, which can wreak untold havoc on your life.
At Thiessen Law Firm, we offer free case evaluations, transparent pricing, and flexible payment plans. We’re upfront about costs because we believe you deserve to know exactly what you’re paying for — and we believe that everyone should have a chance to fight for their future.
What are the odds of getting a DWI dismissed in Texas?
The odds depend entirely on the facts of your case and the quality of your attorney. Dismissals happen when evidence is tainted, procedures are violated, or the prosecution’s case is too weak to proceed. With a skilled attorney, we’ve achieved dismissals in cases with high BAC readings, traffic accidents, and seemingly overwhelming evidence. The key is finding weaknesses — and we’re obsessed with finding them. We love securing dismissals on cases where other attorneys would have negotiated pleas.
How to find the best DWI lawyer Houston has to offer
Look for board certifications, not just experience. Look for trial victories, not just case settlements. Look for an attorney who has beaten intoxication manslaughter charges, who understands the science behind blood and breath tests, and who has the respect of judges and prosecutors. Look for someone who’s willing to take your case to trial if that’s what it takes to win.
Looking for a Houston DWI lawyer to protect your life? Look no further than Thiessen.
Your arrest doesn’t have to define your future — but a conviction might. That’s why you need a Houston DWI lawyer who won’t accept defeat before walking into the courtroom. Mark Thiessen and the team at Thiessen Law Firm have built a reputation on doing exactly that. We take cases other lawyers won’t touch. We go to trial when other firms would plead guilty. We win because we prepare obsessively and we never stop fighting.
You have 15 days to request your ALR hearing. You have limited time to preserve evidence and build your defense. Every day you wait is a day your case gets harder.
Call us today at (713) 864-9000 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation. Your future is worth the fight.
Additional DWI Resources:
- Can You Refuse a Field Sobriety Test?
- What is Deferred Adjudication?
- What is DWI Court: The Texas DWI Court Process Explained
- Can a DWI be Expunged in Texas?
- Why “Do Not Blow” is Bad Advice
NOTE: This information is not legal advice. It is provided for educational use only. If you need legal advice regarding a DWI offense in the State of Texas, please contact Mark Thiessen at 713-864-9000, or request a free case evaluation.
