‘No Refusal’ in effect during World Series

If they’re not careful, some Astros fans might have to experience the historic World Series games from inside a holding cell in the Harris County Jail.

The District Attorney’s Office announced Friday that Harris County will be under the “No Refusal” policy this Fall Classic weekend — meaning any motorist stopped on suspicion of driving while intoxicated who refuses a breathalyzer test will be subject to a warrant signed by a judge ordering them to undergo a blood test.

“We want to continue to celebrate this historic season,” said Sean Teare, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Division at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. “We ask that while celebrating, you have a plan to get home safely. It won’t be as much fun to root for our team from the Harris County Jail.”

The policy is in effect most weekends and holidays, as well as during major sporting events like the Super Bowl and this weekend’s three World Series home games.

The Astros face the Los Angeles Dodgers in three consecutive home games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Law officials anticipate late night partying after the Astros came back to win Game 2 in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

During the Super Bowl football playoff earlier this year, there were 155 charges accepted for intoxicated driving incidents during the Feb. 2 to 5 weekend event, prosecutors said. Out of the 155 total charges, 16 were third-time offenses and 4 involved intoxicated driving with a child in the vehicle.

Teare said his department fears the arrest numbers this weekend will be much higher.

“Our concern is that the Super Bowl was a huge lead up to one big event,” Teare said. “In this case, we’re going to have three specific ‘Super Bowls’ back to back to back.”

The Texas Department of Transportation reported that last year 159 persons were killed in Harris County, part of the human toll of 2,941 alcohol-related crashes in the county.

Using a grant funds from TxDOT, additional prosecutors, judges and nurses are on call from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. most weekend nights to authorize and perform blood draws, so drivers should be wary not to drink and drive, Teare said.

“That county orange is not quite the same shade as our Astros orange,” Teare said.