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Officials with the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office arrested 39 people for felony Driving While Intoxicated charges and felony sex crimes throughout the month of December, according to records from a public information request filed by the Chronicle
Of those arrests, 26 were felony DWI charges. In Texas, a person is charged with DWI if their blood or breath alcohol concentration (BAC) is .08 or higher, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT.)
Driving while intoxicated in Texas is usually considered a misdemeanor on the first two offenses. A person’s third DWI offense results in a felony charge. Drivers charged with a third DWI charge face up to $10,000 in fines, between two to 10 years in prison and can have their license suspended. Drivers can also face an annual fee up to $2,000 for three years to retain their license, according to TxDOT.
SEE LAST MONTH: Brazoria County officials net 32 felony arrests in Nov
Of the 26 felony cases in December, seven people were charged with DWI with a child passenger. Drivers that are charged with DWI with a child can face fines up to $10,000, up to two years in prison and loss of their drivers license for 180 days, according to TxDOT.
Brazoria County authorities also arrested another 13 for sex crimes felonies. Charges of those arrested include sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child, possession of child pornography, failure to comply with sex offender registry requirements, prostitution, online solicitation of a minor and sexual assault.
Of the 13 charged with felonies related to sex crimes, eight were tied to a minor or a child.