Seeing those flashing lights in the rearview mirror can easily send a surge of adrenaline and dread through any driver. While most people tend to pull over and take the slap on the wrist, others attempt to take off and evade arrest for the time being.
Whether you are sending cops on a speeding chase or sneaking around in public knowing that you have a warrant on your head, evading arrest is a serious offense that can lead to some serious consequences.
Let’s take a closer look at what evading arrest is, what constitutes the act, and how getting a bail bond over evasion can be the best result for your legal future.
What is Evading Arrest?
According to Texas’s Penal Code, Chapter 38, evading arrest occurs when a person commits a crime and intentionally flees from a peace officer or federal investigator attempting to arrest them.
Whether this flight is running from the police or failing to stop quickly during a traffic stop, evading arrest is an action that comes with serious consequences for your legal record.
What Class Felony is Evading Arrest?
The severity of your punishment for evading arrest all depends on your prior criminal record. If you have prior convictions and attempt to evade the law, this evasion is a third-degree felony.
Third-degree felonies could lead to 2-10 years in jail and fines of up to $10,000.
However, if you have no prior convictions, evasion is still a felony but is a fourth-degree felony. Fourth-degree felonies can result in 180 days – 2 years in jail and fines of up to $10,000.
Can Evading Arrest Be Dismissed in Texas?
Getting an excellent criminal defense lawyer is in your best interest if you are evading arrest. There have been several instances where Texas courts have dismissed evasion convictions because a great lawyer proved there was no actual intent to flee the police.
Some ways a defense lawyer can get an evasion dismissed include proving that the driver wasn’t increasing their speed or even driving more slowly to find a safe place to stop. Some of the most obvious forms of evading arrest include erratic drivers that take off when the police sirens start wailing.
So, if your lawyer can use the evidence surrounding your case to prove that you weren’t intentionally fleeing and just took your time to stop for the police, you could find yourself away from the threat of a jail cell for the next few years.
How Can a Bail Bond Be the Best Choice After Your Arrest?
Getting arrested in Dallas is no picnic, but taking the wrap is always better than risking an evasion that leads to a costly felony. If you’re arrested, make sure to arrange a criminal defense lawyer and a meeting with a local bail bond company.
Getting a bail bond can help you shorten your initial jail stay and lets you spend the time between your arrest and hearings from the comfort of your own home. If you were arrested for evading arrest, getting a bail bond can help you find more time to work with your lawyer and create a case that could hopefully get dismissed in the courts.
1st Call Bail Bonds is Dallas’s best bail bond agency. We are open 24/7 and can help you with any bail of any cost.
Start an application process today!
