Fort Bend County District Attorney’s announces No Refusal Weekend

The Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office and local law enforcement are implementing “No Refusal” weekends for Spring Break and St. Patrick’s Day to increase patrols looking for drivers who are impaired by alcohol or other substances.

Spanning Friday and Saturday nights from March 10-11 and again on March 17-18, law enforcement will focus on high-risk locations overnight when alcohol-related crashes are most frequent.

Attorneys from the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office will be present to draft search warrants allowing local judges to authorize a blood draw from drivers who have demonstrated evidence of their intoxication.

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld blood search warrants as a legal means to obtain evidence in DWI cases from suspects who are arrested, but refuse to take a breath or blood test.

Nurses will also be on hand to draw blood once a warrant is obtained.

“We heighten awareness at times when alcohol abuse increases, but expect drivers to be responsible year-round” said District Attorney Brian Middleton. “The numbers have remained low during these times and I encourage our residents to keep up the good work. An intoxicated driving injury or death is not a statistic you want to be part of.”

The District Attorney’s No Refusal initiative is funded by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.