No-Refusal DWI Campaign set for 4th of July Holiday

TYLER — Law Enforcement Agencies in Smith County are planning to be out in force during the 4th of July Holiday on the lookout for intoxicated drivers on streets, highways, and area lakes. Officers won’t be taking “NO” for an answer. The No-Refusal initiative will run Friday, July 2 thru Sunday, July 4. A multi-joint effort between the Smith County District Attorney’s Office and police agencies from all over Smith County will participate in the ‘No-Refusal’ D.W.I Campaign.

Upon the arrest of a suspected drunk driver, he or she will be asked if they would submit to blow into a breath-test instrument or take a blood test. If the driver refuses and says “No” to a test, officers will obtain an immediate search warrant signed by an on-call judge to have blood drawn by a certified nurse on staff at the Smith County Jail. The blood will then be analyzed to determine whether the driver’s blood-alcohol concentration is 0.08 or higher, the legal limit for driving in Texas.

In 2009, Law Enforcement Agencies in Smith County arrested 31 drivers for Driving While Intoxicated.