County Court at Law No. 4 Judge Jerry Bussell sentenced Jorge Daniel Alvarez to 12 months’ probation on October 5, 2018 after a jury convicted him of Driving While Intoxicated in only 30 minutes. The 28-year-old Houston man was tried for the crime stemming from a 2014 arrest after wrecking his car in Sugar Land.
According to Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Barkley, Jorge Alvarez was found in the driver’s seat of a wrecked car on the median at Highway 59 and Dairy Ashford Road around 2:50 a.m. on September 27, 2014. Alvarez told Sugar Land Police Officer K. Longtin that he was coming from a bar and missed his exit onto Beltway 8. He then missed at least two more exits before finally managing to exit the freeway where he promptly hit a curb with enough force to break an axle while trying to execute a u-turn. After performing poorly during a field sobriety evaluation, Alvarez was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He later provided a breath sample which indicated a blood alcohol content of .13 over an hour after his initial contact with law enforcement. The legal presumption of intoxication in Texas is .08.
In closing arguments, the State highlighted the defendant’s dangerous driving, high breath alcohol concentration, and the need for the jury to hold Alvarez accountable for his decision to drive while intoxicated. Barkley, the lead prosecutor on the case, said the jurors found the testimony of Department of Public Safety Technical Supervisor Alva Barbosa concerning the reliability of the breath test results particularly helpful in reaching their verdict.
“We want to thank the jurors for their service to the community and for holding Alvarez accountable for his actions,” said Barkley. “Thankfully, no other vehicles were involved in this accident.”
Driving While Intoxicated in this case is a Class B Misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and/or a fine up to $2,000. Alvarez must also pay a $1,000 fine and complete 56 hours of community service. Assistant District Attorneys Benjamin Barkley and Christian Ludwig prosecuted the case.