Many people misguidedly perceive that only “certain people” violate DWI/DUI laws. Whether its young people or senior citizens; the highly educated or minimum wage earners; celebrities or regular American citizens; it is inescapable that certain groups may be stigmatized as more likely to be charged with driving under the influence than others. However, the truth is that anyone is susceptible to a DUI/DWI charge– that is if he or she drinks and drives. A sampling of this weekend’s news illustrates that point, highlighting DUI/DWI charges from around the country, involving people from every sector of American life.
The first charges occurred early on in the weekend, at around 5:00am on Saturday morning in Brazos, Texas. The Dallas Morning New’s College Sports Blog reported that Longhorn wide receiver Kendall Sanders was arrested for driving under the influence; however the official report had been removed from the Brazos County Website. Details about Mr. Sanders’ charges are still emerging, and the Longhorns have not yet made a public statement.
The next story, reported by CBS Los Angeles, comes out of Pomona California. There, a twenty year old female allegedly drove her Toyota Camry while under the influence of alcohol, and rolled the vehicle after striking several other cars. The incident occurred around 1:30 in the morning on Sunday, while the young woman was driving with three friends. The friends of the driver were reported to be between the ages of 18 and 23. One of these passengers, a young female, age 19, was killed in the accident. The driver of the Toyota was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence causing death.
Sunday at 2:00 in the morning, South Carolina time, is when our last DUI/DWI charge occurred. According to WLTX.Com, a South Carolina news reporting company, police officers in Columbia, South Carolina, inspected a vehicle stopped on the side of the road. Inside, the officers found 34 year-old Columbia Police Officer, Michael Watson, sleeping behind the wheel of the vehicle. After further investigation by the Highway Patrol, Officer Watson was arrested on charges for driving under the influence.
A star college football player, a young woman not yet old enough to legally purchase alcohol, and a police officer, are all the faces of DWI/DUI charges this weekend. Of course, there are numerous other stories out there, each likely involving a person just as different from these three cases as the next. The point is that while there is no “certain person” that violates DWI/DUI laws, each person that does get charged for driving under the influence does have one thing in common: the right to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and the right to an attorney. If you have been charged with a DWI/DUI, so do you.
The exclusive purpose of this article is educational and it is not intended as either legal advice or a general solution to any specific legal problem. Corporate offices for Nave DWI Defense Attorneys are located at 432 N. Franklin Street, Suite 80, Syracuse, NY 13204; Telephone No.: 1-866-792-7800. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Attorney Advertising.
