Anonymous Callers and DWI in Texas

The Texas State Trooper had reasonable suspicion to stop the defendant for DWI, even though the trooper did not personally observe any signs of intoxication, where citizen called 911 and reported that the defendant was intoxicated, caused a disturbance at a bar, and had departed the bar in the vehicle.  The information provided by the 911 caller was sufficiently corroborated by the trooper, including the vehicle’s description, license plate number, and travel route.  Importantly, the “trooper inquired into the reliability of the 911 caller and confirmed that the 911 caller, by giving his name and address, had put himself in a position to be held accountable for his intervention.”

Many times in Collin County, Texas DWI stops are conducted on the basis of an anonymous caller who calls in and describes driving patters that an officer or trooper, based on his experience makes the determination that the caller’s observations are describing an intoxicated driver.