How Does Bexar County Prosecute DWI and Criminal Cases?

One Prosecution Office — Misdemeanor Through Felony

All criminal cases in Bexar County — from Class B misdemeanor DWI through first-degree felonies — are prosecuted by the Bexar County District Attorney’s office at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center, 300 Dolorosa Street, San Antonio TX 78205. Unlike Travis County, which splits prosecution between the County Attorney (misdemeanors) and the DA (felonies), Bexar County uses one office for all criminal matters. The specific unit handling your case depends on the charge level.

Misdemeanor DWI at Cadena-Reeves

First and second-offense DWI are Class B and Class A misdemeanors, heard in the Bexar County Courts at Law at Cadena-Reeves. The Bexar County DA’s office prosecutes these cases with experienced attorneys who actively pursue cases through trial when defendants are not well represented. Allison Tisdale prosecuted criminal cases as a Texas state prosecutor before joining the defense. She knows how the Bexar County DA’s office evaluates its files and where the leverage is for experienced defense counsel.

Felony DWI and Serious Criminal Charges

Felony DWI cases — third offense, DWI with a child passenger, and intoxication assault — are heard in the Bexar County District Courts at Cadena-Reeves. These cases require grand jury indictment before proceeding in District Court. Felony DWI carries a 2-to-10 year TDCJ sentence range on a third-degree felony. Intoxication assault cases from IH-35 and IH-10 crashes frequently generate multiple counts. defense representation is essential at this level.

The ALR Proceeding Runs Separately

The Administrative License Revocation proceeding before SOAH runs completely separately from the Bexar County DA’s office on its own timeline. The 15-day ALR deadline is the same regardless of charge level. We file the ALR request the day you retain us on every Bexar County DWI case.

How Cases Move Through Cadena-Reeves

After magistration at the Bexar County Jail, the case is assigned to a County Court at Law (misdemeanor) or District Court (felony) at Cadena-Reeves. Misdemeanor cases typically see a first docket setting within 2 to 6 weeks of arrest. Felony cases proceed to grand jury before setting in District Court. Most first-offense misdemeanor cases with experienced representation resolve in 3 to 9 months. Cases with contested suppression hearings or trial take longer. See our San Antonio criminal defense page.