DWI which stands for Driving While Intoxicated and DUI which stands for Driving under the influence are synonymous terms that mean a conviction for driving or operating machinery while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Driving while intoxicated is an offence in every state in America as it has been a real nuisance and caused deaths of not only people who are drunk but also innocent people who were victims in an accident. Different states have different permissible limit of alcohol consumption. There are several reasons for which you can be pulled over by an officer who is suspicious about your driving. An officer on patrol has the right to stop you if they have reasonable suspicion. It could be because they observed your erratic driving or speeding or someone may have reported your suspicious driving. Once pulled over you would be subjected to a field sobriety test first followed by a breathalyzer test. You could be arrested immediately if you refuse to subject to these tests. You will be transported and kept in a holding cell that is sometimes referred to as the drunk tank. Once sober you will be asked to pay a bail amount. After paying the amount a date to appear in court will be given to you before you are released your license can be confiscated too. If you cannot post the bail amount you will be kept in the holding cell. If you have had the misfortune of being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol you will need a good san antonio dwi lawyer. A DWI lawyer is someone who can help you if you have been charged under the DWI or DUI law. You have the choice to be represented by a public defender, however a public defender usually will not have an expertise on this subject and this could compromise your case. A san antonio personal injury attorney will try to find ways to have the charges dropped and the case disposed off altogether. If this is not possible they will try and reach a plea settlement or negotiate for a reduced jail sentence or fine. Due to pressure from the anti drinking lobbyists DUI laws keep getting more stringent in this case a public defender will not be capable of defending your case successfully and would only lead to waste of precious time and money. A DUI attorney handles only these types of cases on a daily basis and knows the laws inside out they are also members of associations which send out periodic updates about changes in the law and thus are aware of the whole situation. A qualified DUI attorney is your best bet if you ever find yourself facing a DUI case in the future.