There are many people in Philadelphia who are charged with DUIs each month. In order to address this issue, the Pennsylvania legislature has enacted many laws to punish those who drive under the influence. The police are also trained to determine if a driver is drunk and make a DUI arrest based on this assessment. There are many indications that police look for when determining whether a driver is drunk. If the person is swerving in traffic or is involved in an accident, police will generally conduct tests to determine whether alcohol is a factor.
A Philadelphia man was recently involved in a car accident. When police arrived at the scene, the driver was asked to perform multiple field sobriety tests. After the tests were completed, the officers suspected the driver was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him. He was brought to a local hospital and released after receiving a summons.
After a person is charged with a DUI, they must navigate their way through the criminal justice system. Every person has certain rights throughout the process and are presumed innocent until proven guilty. However, if they are convicted, they will face serious consequences such as jail time, fines and license revocation. Also, if the person has multiple DUI offenses, jail time may be mandatory.
There are a variety of defenses to a DUI. The prosecutor has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that a person was under the influence of alcohol. Police must have had a valid reason to stop the person in the first place and must have had probable cause to arrest the person.
Arrests for DUIs happen often in Philadelphia. Each person arrested and charged with a DUI has rights and is not guilty just because they are charged.
Source: West Chester Patch, “harge” Philly Man Arrested on DUI Charge,” Nate Adams, Dec. 19, 2013
