If you were a child or teenager in the 1980s, you probably remember Lou Diamond Phillips for his appearances in films based on true stories. In 1987, he portrayed Ritchie Valens, one of the singers whose death marked “the day the music died,” in La Bamba, and the following year, he appeared in Stand and Deliver, in which he played a student in Jaime Escalante’s math class. In the last 15 years, he has consistently had television roles. This month, Phillips made news again when he pleaded guilty to DWI first offense in Portland, Texas.
Details of Phillips’ DWI Arrest
Lou Diamond Phillips lives in California, where he was born. He was visiting Texas for a speaking engagement in November of 2017, when he was arrested for DWI near Corpus Christi, where he had lived for a while in his youth. The mental image that most people have of DWI is of a police officer pulling a driver over because of erratic driving, but this is not how Phillips’ arrest happened. He actually stopped and approached a police officer of his own accord and asked the officer for directions. Based on Phillips’ behavior while asking for directions, the officer suspected that Phillips had been drinking.
Lou Pleaded Guilty, but Should You?
This month, Lou Diamond Phillips pleaded guilty to DWI charges. His sentence includes two years of probation and mandatory participation in a DWI education program. He is also banned from drinking alcohol for those two years. That might seem like a lenient sentence, especially for Texas, where life sentences for DWI are more than just a hypothetical scenario; a few factors may have contributed to this.
First, it was Phillips’ first DWI offense. A DWI first offense in Texas is a misdemeanor. Second, Phillips pleaded guilty. Many times, when defendants plead innocent but receive a guilty verdict at trial, the penalties are more severe than if they had entered a guilty plea. You can go to jail for up to 180 days for a DWI first offense in Texas. Pleading guilty may have contributed to Phillips getting probation instead of jail time.
No Pre-Trial Diversion Program for Phillips
Texas offers some defendants a pre-trial diversion program instead of conventional punishments for a DWI first offense. Why was this option not available to Phillips? It was probably because the pre-trial diversion program is only for people who have no prior criminal record. Phillips does have a record; in 2006, he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of domestic battery. His punishment included community service, probation, and mandatory completion of domestic violence counseling. The pre-trial diversion program consists mostly of substance abuse counseling; people who successfully complete it can walk away with a clean record.
Contact Madrid Law About DWI Cases
You do not have to be an 80s heart throb to get superstar legal representation in a DWI case. Contact Madrid Law in Houston if you have been charged with DWI, whether or not it is a first offense.
