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cavalier78 t1_j61iy8p wrote

I am a criminal defense attorney. I specialize in DUI law.

In my state, a DUI (stands for "driving under the influence") means that you were driving a vehicle while your breath alcohol content was 0.08 or above.

In my state, a DWI (stands for "driving while impaired") means that you were driving a vehicle while your breath alcohol content was between 0.06 and 0.07. It's a less serious charge with a lower punishment range.

However, other states have different laws, and they call them different things. In Texas, DWI stands for "driving while intoxicated", and it's the equivalent of our DUI.

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Blood11Orange t1_j61k7fu wrote

Ah ok. The fact that each state has a different meaning for both terms makes it so difficult to differentiate. Thank you.

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cavalier78 t1_j61l1ql wrote

You're welcome. That's also going to be the case with basically any kind of crime. I see questions here about "what is 2nd degree manslaughter?" or some other thing. The answer is that it varies state by state.

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Blood11Orange t1_j61m89s wrote

It’s so frustrating how one thing could be a misdemeanor or legal in one state and a felony or illegal in another. You can’t even claim ignorance of the local laws. It’s all messed up.

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