Alex Jones, Infowars Conspiracy Theorist, Charged With Drunk Driving In Austin, Texas

Alex Jones Faces A DWI Charge After Failing A Field Sobriety Test

Alex Jones, a famous conspiracy theorist and the founder of Infowars.com, found himself in the Travis County Jail in Austin, Texas on March 10 after being arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI). He posted a $3,000 bond the next morning. During his show later that day, Jones aired his grievances about his arrest. He cited a copy of a police report with his breathalyzer results, which listed his BAC as .076 and .079 from the night of his arrest. The legal BAC limit for driving in Texas is .08.

Local authorities have released a statement about the traffic arrest. They say that the police officer who arrested Jones was responding to a domestic dispute call involving Jones and his ex-wife. Although his BAC was below the legal limit, Jones was reportedly unable to pass field sobriety tests and smelled strongly of alcohol, resulting in his arrest.

Who Is Alex Jones?

Alex Jones hosts one of the most popular conspiracy talk-shows on the Internet, The Alex Jones Show. His program has dipped in and out of viral fame over the past decade. Known for his wild outbursts and controversial ideas, Jones has found much of his mainstream exposure filtered through the lens of public outrage. Among his many conspiracy theories, Jones has claimed that:

• The US government possesses “weather weapons”.
• The Pentagon is using experimental chemicals to turn people and frogs gay.
• Robert Mueller, the former FBI Director who investigated President Donald Trump, is a demon and a pedophile who runs an organization of pedophiles.
• Hillary Clinton runs a child sex trafficking operation out of a pizza parlor.

His most notorious conspiracy theory has embroiled him in an ongoing legal battle. He has asserted multiple times on The Alex Jones Show that the United States government staged the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting in 2012 and that no one actually died during the tragic event. Multiple parents who lost children in the mass shooting are suing Jones for his comments. Jones’ ex-wife recently pursued legal action to obtain full custody of their children, citing Jones’ unstable and unhinged personality. The night he was arrested for DWI, Jones was driving to another one of his residences in Austin to try “to get away from his wife,” according to a police affidavit.

DWIs and DUIs in Texas

Driving laws fluctuate from state to state. The state of Texas only charges minors with DUI and there is no threshold BAC for the charge. Any amount of alcohol reliably detected in a minor’s system is sufficient to qualify for DUI. Fines for DUI in Texas run as high as $500. They are also usually accompanied by a maximum of 40 hours of community service time, mandatory alcohol awareness classes, and a 60-day driver’s license suspension.

A DWI charge is much more serious in Texas and carries severe penalties. The primary means of determining a DWI is blood alcohol content (BAC). If a person blows a .08 BAC or more into a breathalyzer, their BAC breaches the legal limit for driving. While BAC is the most common determining factor, if a police officer considers the person’s level of intoxication to be unsafe even within legal limits, the police can administer a field sobriety test in an attempt to assess the person’s coordination and cognition. If the person passes the breathalyzer test, but fails the field sobriety test, the police can arrest them and charge them with DWI. This is what happened in the case of Alex Jones.

First DWI Offense Penalties:

• Up to $2,000 in fines.
• 6 to 180 days in jail.
• License suspension from 90 days to 1 year.
• Annual fee of up to $2,000 to retain license.

Second DWI Offense Penalties

• Up to $4,000 in fines.
• 1 month to 1 year in jail.
• At least 1 year of license suspension.
• Annual fee of $2,000 to retain license.

Third DWI Offense Penalties

• $10,000 fine.
• 2 to 10 years in prison.
• License suspension for 1 to 2 years.
• Annual fee of $2,000 to retain license.

During the hearing for his DWI charge, Jones will be represented by David Minton, the attorney who represented him during his divorce proceedings in 2015.