“No Refusal” Enforcement set for New Year’s Holiday

SMITH COUNTY — The Tyler Police Department along with Smith County Law Enforcement agencies will be out in force during the New Year Holiday on the lookout for drunken drivers and they won’t be taking “NO” for an answer. Starting Friday, December 30, through Saturday December 31, 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’ DWI Campaign once again.

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