.Converted][14].png "Blake & Blake, LLP")
Tiger Woods was arrested last month for suspicion of driving while intoxicated after police found him asleep behind the wheel of his vehicle in Jupiter, Florida. When the news first broke, we wondered whether Mr. Woods had taken a breathalyzer or submitted a blood sample for alcohol testing. As it turned out, Mr. Woods did take a breathalyzer which shows a blood alcohol content (BAC) or 0.0. We have now learned from the police report that Mr. Woods told police he had taken Xanax. In addition to Xanax, Mr. Woods had been prescribed Vicodin, Solarex, Vioxx, and Turox, according to the police report.
In Texas, as in Florida, being impaired by legal, prescription drugs can still lead to a DWI conviction. In fact, it is not uncommon for police to eschew the breathalyzer and prefer blood tests precisely because the blood test may disclose the presence of drugs (legal or illegal). As Mr. Woods’s case illustrates, police do not have to show any amount of alcohol to arrest you for DWI. Moreover, because of the interactions between many common pain killers and sleep aids with alcohol, a low BAC with the presence of other prescription drugs can be just as damaging for a defendant as a high BAC.
Mr. Woods is to be arraigned on July 5. We do not yet know how he and his attorneys intend to handle the case. As some DWI attorneys have said, the statement that Mr. Woods issued following his arrest may have hurt his chances of avoiding conviction. His statement tried to make clear to the public that he had not been drinking – something we now know was true – but in doing so he admitted to being under the influence of his prescription drugs. We are sure that Mr. Woods has the best DWI Attorneys working on his case, but even they may have a hard time avoiding a conviction at this point.
If you have been charged with DWI or any crime, you need an experienced Texas Criminal Defense Attorney to obtain the best results. Give us a call at (817) 497-8889 so that we can help you.
