2018
What You Need to Know about the Public Intoxication Laws in Texas
The public intoxication law in Texas can be vague and confusing. How so?
State law indicates that law enforcement officers can arrest a person on suspicion of public intoxication. However, the arrest can occur only if the drunk person is a danger to others or themselves.
On New Year’s Day 2018, a Texas woman was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a friend pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. Witness accounts said the woman yelled to the driver not to take the sobriety test. The arresting officers then charged the woman with public intoxication. The woman’s attorney believes the police applied the law in the wrong way.
Critics agree that the law is too vague and allows [...]