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George A. Scharmen: Recognized for Excellence in DWI Defense and Board Certifications
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George A. ScharmenRated by Super Lawyers
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DWI Attorney George A. Scharmen has decades of experience defending clients in San Antonio. Nationally recognized for excellence and he is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and with over 120 DWI appeals, George Scharmen is the smart choice for DWI Defense.
George A. Scharmen is a highly respected DWI Expert throughout San Antonio and the legal community
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Going the Extra MileWhile we try to avoid the courtroom for clients, I promise to be ready for anything - including a jury trial.
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Extensive DWI ExperienceFor more than 40 years, I have exclusively practiced criminal law and DWI defense.
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Recognized in the CommunityHighly respected among colleagues, I'm double-board certified and the recipient of many awards and accolades.


Expert San Antonio DWI Attorney
Put My Decades Of DWI & DUI Experience To Work For You!
Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) has always been a very serious charge in San Antonio & the surrounding counties, and unfortunately it only gets more serious with each legislative session. DWI Charges can change your life, end a career, or even end a marriage. That is why if you have been arrested for DWI or any other intoxication related case in San Antonio or South Texas, I will help you the same way that I would help a family member or a close friend as an experienced DWI lawyer.
After your arrest and release, I want to make sure that nothing else is happening that could threaten your liberty or your finances, and I will do what I can to stop that from happening. Some people have employment contracts or Texas State certifications impacted by a DWI arrest. There are some things that a DWI attorney like me can do to help you with that. Oil field workers, truckers, teachers, nurses, and CPAs have issues with their jobs. As a DWI lawyer in Texas, I have helped them all.
Limiting your legal involvement includes helping you keep your driver’s license, and I will tell you immediately what you can do to keep it. In Texas, a person arrested for DWI immediately has a driver’s license problem. Police give the IMPRESSION THAT YOUR LICENSE IS SUSPENDED AFTER YOUR DWI ARREST. However, THAT IS NOT TRUE. If your license was valid before the DWI arrest, it is valid AFTER the DWI arrest. It can be suspended, but if you get to a DWI lawyer within 15 days of the arrest, they can stop the suspension by requesting an ALR hearing.
As you can see on this website, I am a DWI lawyer. I am a DWI lawyer with over 40 years of DWI practice, I am an experienced and knowledgeable DWI lawyer with two board certifications (Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law and the National Board of Trial Advocacy). I practice mostly in San Antonio and in the South Texas area. In addition, sometimes people are charged with other criminal cases when they are arrested for a DWI, such as drug possession or unlawfully carrying a weapon. I handle these cases for my clients as well. I have dedicated the last 30 years of my practice to focus EXCUSIVELY on DWI Defense. I am an expert in all DWI cases and all of the criminal cases that come to me in a DWI arrest. I educate other lawyers, judges and prosecutors on the intricacies of DWI blood draw cases, breath testing, and the science behind the breath testing machine and blood draw procedure. In fact, just a few weeks ago I spoke to a public defender's office in South Texas about how they can better defend their clients in DWI cases, and I do this regularly. DWI Defense is what I am known for as a lawyer around Texas and it is my passion. This fact is documented on this website and in the cases I cited indicating my impact on the jurisprudence of this State. I am a published DWI lawyer with over 120 appeals, and I have many published DWI and DWI related cases that have changed the law on DWI cases in Texas. These appellate cases of mine are argued in Texas courts every day. Do your research before hiring a DWI lawyer. The punishment for a DWI conviction and the future repercussions of having a DWI arrest and/or conviction on your permanent record is severe and it really is in your best interest to hire a qualified, experienced DWI Attorney.
There may be others who are criminal defense lawyers, and they claim to be some kind of “expert.” They have a big law firm, perhaps the “largest” criminal defense law firm in Texas. None of that matters. What matters is whether he or she will be your lawyer, the same lawyer you hired, who will handle your DWI case to conclusion. The size of the law firm you hire does not matter. What matters is that the person representing you is an experienced and proven DWI lawyer with demonstrated involvement in DWI cases. If someone tells you they are an “expert,” you need to see their certification from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. It is only a personal opinion for a lawyer to call himself an expert or a specialist in the field of DWI practice when he says he is an “expert.” However, there are ONLY 788 Board Certified Criminal Law Lawyers in Texas out of approximately 100,000 lawyers, and I am one of them. Starting with a lawyer who is giving you false references to their abilities (which is all over the internet) is a bad start.
While a DWI in Texas has always been a serious charge, it’s not the end of your world. There are a lot of things I can do to help you after your release on a DWI charge. I don’t want to minimize your problem you have after you are arrested for a DWI because for most it is a VERY serious problem. I just want you to know that once you sit down and talk to me about your DWI case, and a little time has passed, you will become a lot less stressed about your situation, and you will be more hopeful. There is no hopeless case. Even difficult cases can and have been won. But DO NOT wait around to get a lawyer, you really need to get a DWI lawyer soon. You have a 15 day deadline to request an ALR (Administrative License Revocation) or you lose your right to take the arresting officer's deposition & this is a very important step in the process of defending your DWI case.
As one of the most experienced DWI lawyers in San Antonio, I believe that in most misdemeanor DWI cases, the worst is already over in terms of your incarceration. However, if you have been arrested for a DWI-2nd or a Felony DWI you especially need a DWI lawyer with extensive knowledge and expertise of the Texas DWI laws and the case laws in Texas because now jail and prison is involved. In Cities like New Braunfels, it is especially important because they take a very hard line in almost every DWI case.
If your case is a repeat DWI offense, we need to take a closer review of prior cases. I need to know the date and court. In particular, I need to know about out-of-State convictions because some of them cannot be used legally in Texas. The out-of-State DWI or DUI conviction may have an effect on plea bargaining more than on the actual charge.
There may be other consequences after a DWI arrest, but if you reach out to an experienced DWI lawyer like myself, together we can do a lot to limit or eliminate them.

Five-Star Client Testimonials
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"He has had many years of practice and is an honest and loyal attorney."Former Client
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"The dismissal saved my career and my professional license."Bob V.
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"I truly had someone on my side."Jonathan R.
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"Highly recommend!"Former Client
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"He is always available to answer my questions."Former Client
If you or your loved one has been charged with DWI, it is imperative that you contact me as soon as possible to prevent loss of certain basic rights. You only have 15 days to request an ALR hearing. This hearing is to protest the suspension of your driver’s license and to take the officer's deposition. This can be an invaluable resource in defending your DWI case because most of the time I can get the officer's deposition under oath before the District or County attorney has had the opportunity to even discuss the case with the officer. I promise immediate, supportive, and aggressive assistance so that your record may be cleared of any DWI charge. I am a board certified criminal defense lawyer in the San Antonio area who defends the rights of those facing DWI and intoxication charges while also representing them if they are charged with other offenses during the DWI arrest.
Get started today by contacting us online or call (210) 405-9730.
Put My Extensive Experience to Work For You!
For more than 40 years, I have exclusively practiced criminal law and DWI defense. I have had the opportunity to help many people clear DWI arrests from their records (expunction), and I have litigated DWI cases using up-to-date legal and scientific tools regarding DWI defense. My scientific training helps me to obtain rulings suppressing blood tests and exposing errors on the part of forensic analysts. Today DWI cases involve scientific evidence in blood testing for alcohol and drugs. Training on blood testing and drug testing is necessary! With the right information I have been able to demonstrate to the jury that the laboratory was wrong simply because it did not have the correct equipment to do the analysis, or that another laboratory could not connect the blood they tested to the defendant on trial. Often, on the very first page of the analytical blood test report, the level of alcohol is reported as being higher than it was during the actual test. It is a simple error to find, but many lawyers, including prosecutors, miss it.




I Go the Extra Mile to Help You Obtain a Positive Outcome
Preparation for jury trials is the best means of obtaining the desired result for my clients. I know that people do not necessarily want a jury trial, but in some cases it is unavoidable. I promise to attempt to resolve the case outside of the courtroom, if possible, but I also promise to be ready for anything in the case including a jury trial.
I have had at least 120 of my appeals published in state and federal courts, and some are before the appellate courts at this time. Some of my successful appeals have helped other DWI lawyers in their trials. Opinions from my appeals are recognized and used by defense lawyers and prosecutors as well. With my extensive experience and track record of success, you can be confident in my ability to successfully resolve your complex DWI case.
Schedule your initial consultation by calling my firm at (210) 405-9730 or complete the online contact form.
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Contact Us Today
Whether you have questions or you’re ready to get started, we're ready to help. Complete our form below or call us at (210) 405-9730.