If someone has been pulled over under the suspicion that he or she was driving under the influence in Florida, authorities must be accurate and fair in the way they go about gathering their information before any formal charges are filed. If people are charged, they still have the chance to defend their standing in a court of law should they desire.
For one man who is a senator in Massachusetts, this process will require him to complete a series of requirements in an attempt to have a DUI charge against him, dismissed entirely. The incident began when he was traveling home from a gathering that was work-related where he had consumed alcohol. After another concerned motorist called 911 to report that his vehicle was driving erratically, authorities caught up with him and signaled for him to pull over. After failing multiple field sobriety tests and refusing a breathalyzer test, he was arrested and his license suspended.
Through an agreement with the court, the man must complete an alcohol education class, pay the remainder of his court-ordered fines and avoid any other trouble for one year. Once all three conditions have been met, the formal charges will be dismissed. In arranging the agreement, court officials noted that the man had not had any prior misconduct on his record and that weighed heavily as they made their decision.
If people have been charged with DUI, an attorney may be invaluable support as they prepare to face the charges in a formal setting. Legal professionals have the means to potentially negotiate charges to reduce the impact it has on the person who made a mistake.
Source: The Enterprise, “Brockton senator settles on drunk driving charge,” Mary Whitfill, Jun. 4, 2019