If you have been arrested in the Dallas area for public intoxication, you face a class c misdemeanor punishable by fine only. Therefore, even if you are not guilty your main concern is how to keep it off your record and not get a final conviction.
The applicable Texas Penal Code for this offense is:
Section 49.02. PUBLIC INTOXICATION:
(a) A person commits an offense if the person appears in a public place while intoxicated to the degree that the person may endanger the person or another.
(a-1) For the purposes of this section, a premises licensed or permitted under the Alcoholic Beverage Code is a public place.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the alcohol or other substance was administered for therapeutic purposes and as a part of the person’s professional medical treatment by a licensed physician.
(c) Except as provided by Subsection (e), an offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.
(d) An offense under this section is not a lesser included offense under Section 49.04.
(e) An offense under this section committed by a person younger than 21 years of age is punishable in the same manner as if the minor committed an offense to which Section 106.071, Alcoholic Beverage Code, applies.
To make sure you protect your record and rights, contact Dallas DWI lawyer, Murray L. Bristol, to understand the law regarding public intoxication at 214.880.9988.