South Carolina residents may understandably feel concerned that if they are arrested for and charged with a drunk driving offense. Reports about tough laws and harsh penalties seem to give little reason for people to believe they could successfully defend themselves against the charges. This is one reason that people need to be made aware of times when a defense does manage to lead to a person’s charges being dropped or to a not guilty verdict.
One such case can be seen in a recent verdict handed down in Greenwood. The case started just over two years ago when the mayor of a town was arrested for drunk driving with a reported blood alcohol level of just 0.01 percent over the legal limit of 0.08 percent. The arrest actually happened almost in front of his home. There were two elements of the case that contributed to an ultimate not guilty verdict.
One was a previous leg injury that even by his wife’s report frequently finds the man losing his balance. During his arrest, he was deemed to have failed the field sobriety test in which he was ordered to stand and balance on one leg. Another factor was the arresting officer’s failure to allow the defendant to adequately review the consent form for the breath test before administering it.
After an arrest for driving under the influence, South Carolina residents may find talking with an attorney promptly a good way of learning how to find defense opportunities.
Source: U.S. News and World Report, “Mayor Quotes Jay-Z After Not Guilty DUI Verdict,” November 3, 2017
