'We care about this issue, and it is our responsibility to limit the number of intoxicated drivers on the road. And that’s why I’m making a change.'
Without question, Bexar County has a DWI problem. My prosecutors know this well. They review evidence, including mangled bodies from crash scenes. They work with families of those who have been killed by intoxicated drivers. They work every day to hold offenders accountable.
Obstruction of a highway was first used here in 2008 as an alternative charge for first-time DWI offenders under former District Attorney Susan Reed. Since then, the obstruction charge has been used by former Bexar County District Attorney Nicholas “Nico” LaHood and by my administration. Mandatory blood draws completely changed the game, and accountability from DWI offenders dramatically improved. Alcohol-related crashes and fatalities, and DWI-related arrests have decreased since obstruction and mandatory blood draws went into effect.
Offenders who plea to obstruction are re-offending at a lower rate than other DWI offenders. Over 90 percent of offenders who pleaded to obstruction have not been re-arrested for DWI. For a first-time offender, punishment can have diminishing returns. With obstruction or DWI, the consequences are heavy, but an obstruction plea may allow offenders to keep their job. That person may be less likely to offend as a result.
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