Drunk driving charges can happen to nearly anyone and have a serious impact in the life of the person accused.
A police chief from in a neighboring Pennsylvania community was recently arrested on DUI charges.
The DUI arrest resulted after the police chief was pulled over by police for failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. The police chief’s blood alcohol content (BAC) level was 0.082 which is just over the legal limit.
In general, police must have a reasonable suspicion that a crime is being committed to pull someone over for DUI; police need to have probable cause to make an arrest for driving under the influence. Examples of reasonable suspicion to merit a DUI stop can include straddling the center line, drifting between lanes, nearly hitting other cars or objects on the roadway, excessively slow driving, frequent braking or stopping in the roadway for an unknown reason or erratic driving.
There are serious possible penalties that face a person charged with driving under the influence. This can include license suspension, prison time and fines. Additionally, a penalty that has grown in popularity, especially for those facing multiple DUI offenses, is an ignition interlock device. Ignition interlock devices are breath-test devices that are installed in a person’s vehicle that will not allow use of the car if a minimum BAC is detected in the operator’s breath. Penalties for DUI can be costly, both financially and personally.
For anyone facing a DUI charges, protecting your future can be an important concern. An experienced criminal defense professional can help an accused driver with negotiation, attempting to receive a dismissed charge based on the circumstances of the situation or a strong defense to avoid a DUI conviction.
Source: CBS Philly, “Pennsylvania Police Chief Faces DUI Charge,” AUTHOR (IF ANY), July 19, 2013
