Drunk driving charges can have a serious personal and professional impact on an accused individual. In a Florida community a couple hours east of the Okaloosa area a doctor was recently arrested on drunk driving charges following a crash with a local sheriff’s vehicle. A representative for the doctor noted that the crash occurred at low speeds in bumper-to-bumper traffic and was with an unmarked sheriff’s pickup truck.
According to authorities, the 36-year old emergency department doctor had a strong odor of alcohol, slurred speech and other indicators that he was impaired. Officers noted that they questioned the man at the scene of the crash and he denied that he was impaired or that he had hit anyone with his vehicle. He agreed to roadside sobriety tests but officers allege he was confused about the procedures associated with them. Also according to authorities, the doctor would not submit to a breath test to determine his blood alcohol at the local jail where he was taken.
Individuals accused of drunk driving can face significant penalties and consequences including a criminal record, jail time, fines, the loss of their driver’s license and other potential personal and professional consequences. Breath test refusal may result in the loss of certain privileges and can leader to greater penalties and consequences for accused individuals in some circumstances. As a result, it is important for accused individuals to understand how to effectively exercise their criminal defense rights.
Criminal defense rights and a strong criminal defense strategy based on the situation and circumstances of the alleged incident have a significant impact on protecting the accused individual’s future. If police violated the accused individual’s rights, or did not follow procedures required for the protection of those rights, it may be possible to challenge evidence or the charges altogether which is why accused individuals must be familiar with their criminal defense rights.
Source: Tallahassee Democrat, “TMH doctor charged with DUI in crash,” Karl Etters, Oct. 10, 2017
