DWI Mitigation Specialist

Because Your Story Matters in a DWI Case

When you’ve been arrested for DWI, it can feel like your entire life is being reduced to a single night and a single police report. At Blizzard & Zimmerman Attorneys, we believe you are more than the worst thing you’re accused of doing.

That’s why, even on our DWI cases, our team includes a dedicated Mitigation Specialist, David Herbst, MDiv, to help ensure judges, prosecutors, and even juries see the person behind the charge, not just the offense on paper.

Mitigation Specialist & Firm Chaplain

Day in and day out, David:

• Conducts interviews to understand your life story and current struggles
• Helps arrange evaluations, classes, or treatment when appropriate
• Collects records, letters, and reports that show your progress and character
• Prepares detailed mitigation materials for use in negotiations, plea hearings, and sentencing

Because of David’s involvement:

• Clients feel heard and humanized, not just processed
• Courts see a fuller story - not just a police report and charge
• Our defense team can argue for outcomes that promote restoration, responsibility, and change

What Is a Mitigation Specialist in a DWI Case?

In a DWI case, mitigation isn’t about making excuses. It’s about context, accountability, and a path forward.

David’s role blends investigation, counseling-informed insight, and real-world problem solving to present a fuller picture of your life and your future. This can be especially important in cases involving:

• First-time DWIs
• Repeat or felony DWIs
• DWIs involving accidents or injuries
• Cases with mental health or substance-use components

His work helps answer the questions judges and prosecutors quietly ask themselves:

• • “Who is this person really?”
  • “Is this a pattern or a turning point?”
  • “Is treatment or supervision a better answer than just jail time?”

How David Helps in DWI Cases

David works closely with our DWI defense attorneys to develop a mitigation plan tailored to you and your situation. Key areas of focus include:

1. Life History & Background

• Your upbringing, family support, work history, and responsibilities
• Stressors or crises leading up to the arrest (job loss, divorce, grief, etc.)
• Any history of trauma or major life events that help explain how you got here

This isn’t about blaming your past. It’s about helping decision-makers understand the bigger picture.

2. Alcohol Use, Mental Health & Treatment Needs

• Reviewing any prior evaluations, counseling, or treatment records
• Helping you get into appropriate DWI education, counseling, or rehab programs
• Documenting steps you’re taking to address alcohol use, anxiety, depression, or other underlying issues

Courts want to see: Are you taking this seriously? Are you willing to change? David helps you show that with real, documented steps.

3. Character, Responsibility & Community Support

• Gathering letters from employers, pastors, family, and community members
• Highlighting community involvement, volunteer work, and positive contributions
• Showing your responsibilities to children, aging parents, or others who depend on you

In a DWI case, this can help demonstrate that a long jail sentence or a harsh license suspension would harm more than just you.

4. Accountability, Growth & Future Plan

• Helping you express genuine remorse and insight in a healthy, respectful way
• Outlining a realistic plan for staying sober, compliant, and on track
• Supporting alternatives to straight jail time - such as treatment, community supervision, or structured conditions

Mitigation doesn’t erase what happened. It answers the critical question:
Why should the court believe this won’t happen again?

Why Mitigation Matters in a Texas DWI Case

Texas judges and prosecutors see DWI cases every day. Many files look the same on paper: blood alcohol numbers, dashcam reports, prior history. Mitigation helps your case stand out in the right way.

Strong mitigation can help:

• Support more favorable plea negotiations
• Influence sentencing decisions, including jail time vs. probation
• Support requests for treatment-focused conditions, not just punishment
• Demonstrate you’re a good candidate for interlock compliance, classes, and continued driving privileges where allowed by law

For you and your family, mitigation sends a powerful message:

• • You are more than this moment.
  • You are not just a case number.
  • There is a path forward.

Support for You and Your Family

A DWI doesn’t just affect the person arrested. It ripples through families, workplaces, and communities.

David often supports:

• Family members trying to understand the process
• Loved ones worried about addiction, mental health, or future relapses
• Clients wrestling with guilt, shame, or fear about what comes next

As both a mitigation specialist and chaplain, David approaches this work with respect, confidentiality, and genuine care.

You are not alone in this.

Our Pledge In Your DWI Case

If you’re facing a DWI charge in West Texas, you need more than a lawyer who just looks at the police report. You need a team that:

• Sees you as a whole person
• Digs into the “why” behind what happened
• Fights for an outcome that protects your future as much as possible

At Blizzard & Zimmerman Attorneys, we will:

• Invest time and resources in mitigation  - from the beginning of your DWI case
• Document your history, character, and progress – not just your charge
• Present your full story - so one night doesn’t define the rest of your life

Talk With Our DWI Defense Team

If you or a loved one has been arrested for DWI, don’t face it alone.

Call our office today to schedule a confidential DWI case review. (325) 326-5962

Ask how our DWI defense team and Mitigation Specialist, David Herbst, MDiv, can help tell your story, protect your future, and support you on a better path forward.