Medical professionals in Texas like nurses and doctors are charged with a high level of responsibility: maintaining and restoring the health of other individuals. When a doctor, nurse, or other medical professional is charged with DWI in Dallas, he or she will naturally be worried about the effects a DWI will have on a career charged with such a high degree of responsibility.
This stress is in addition to the big investment of time and money a DWI charge or conviction in the Dallas area normally takes. An experienced DWI defense lawyer serving the Dallas metroplex can fight the DWI charges against you and work to protect your future in the medical field.
Medical Professionals Arrested for DWI Defense Lawyer in Irving, Dallas, Carrolton, Richardson, TX
Under certain circumstances, a DWI charge in DFW may affect the license and/or employment of a medical professional like a doctor or a nurse. If you are such a medical professional and have been arrested for DWI, contact the Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy today at (972) 233-5700 for a consultation about your alleged offense in Irving, Dallas, Carrolton, Richardson, and surrounding areas of Dallas County, Texas. Our firm will work to potentially get your criminal charges reduced or dismissed.
Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy will first build a strong, comprehensive strategy against the charges in order to fight to have them reduced or dismissed, potentially reducing the risk to your medical license or employment to nothing. Then, the experienced DWI defense lawyers of Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy will work to mitigate any impact a DWI will have on your medical license or employment, when necessary.
DFW DWI and Medical Professional Job and Licensing Consequences
Like in most instances of DWI, how a DUI charge or conviction will impact your future as a medical professional largely depends on the circumstances of your case. For doctors and nurses specifically, neither the Texas Medical Board nor the Texas Board of Nursing can discipline a doctor or nurse’s license or registration for a DWI arrest alone. The Texas Medical Board requires the doctor to have also done things like committed unprofessional conduct, used drugs or alcohol in a manner that the Board believes endangered a patient’s life, or suffer from a medical or physical condition such as addiction. After a doctor is arrested for DWI, the board will conduct its own investigation.
The Texas Board of Nursing will also conduct its own investigation of Dallas nurses charged with DWI to determine if the case involves things like moral turpitude, a rehabilitative attitude, or impairment of the ability, capacity, or fitness required to perform nursing duties. The Board of Nursing will then deliberate on whether license restriction or license discipline is necessary. DFW doctors, nurses, and all other medical professionals should keep in mind that Texas is an at-will state, so even if your particular board of licensing doesn’t penalize you, your employer may deem a DWI as an offense worth firing over.
Other consequences a Dallas medical professional should consider in a DUI charge are the driver’s license suspension or revocation, the social stigma that may be attached to your practice, and the extensive time away from work being charged with and fighting a DWI can take. An experienced DWI defense attorney can fight against all of these consequences of a DWI in the Dallas area and work to protect your future as a medical professional in the metroplex.
What a Medical Professional Should do After Dallas DWI Arrest
An arrest for DWI is a stressful time and attempting to reduce the stress by handling the impact on your work situation yourself may seem like a good idea. However, anything you say or do concerning your DWI at work, such as sharing the story with your coworkers or supervisor, can and will be used against you both in court and at any disciplinary review hearing. It is best to invoke your right to remain silent whenever you are questioned about your DWI charge in relation to work.
Your use of the right to remain silent, as well as the right to an attorney, can’t be used against you in court, so you have nothing to lose by politely stating that you are exercising your right to remain silent or that you need to speak with your experienced Dallas DWI defense lawyer first. Your attorney may be able to better advise you on how to handle the disciplinary process and will work with you on strategies that could put you more in control of achieving a favorable outcome.
The licensing board for your medical profession may have self-reporting requirements or could find out sooner rather than later about your DWI arrest, so it is best to contact your DFW DWI attorney as soon as possible after you have been charged with Dallas DWI. Do not follow through on any reporting until you have a clear defense strategy to protect your future in the medical field.
Find A Dallas County Defense Attorney for DWI Charges | Law Offices Of Richard C. McConathy
Contact the Law Offices of Richard C. McConathy today at (972) 233-5700 for a consultation about your alleged offense in Irving, Dallas, Carrolton, Richardson, and surrounding areas of Dallas County, Texas. Our firm will work to potentially get your criminal charges reduced or dismissed.