Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is dangerous behavior. Because of the risks of accidents and injuries, many advocacy groups actively work to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the roads and to educate young people about the risks of drunk driving. However, despite these efforts, millions of people continue to drive while impaired and, on average, someone dies every 51 minutes in drunk driving accidents in the United States. Not only can a DUI result in a serious accident and injuries, but the suspected driver may find themselves under arrest, spending the night in jail, and facing serious criminal charges. Whether you have sustained injury in a DUI accident or have been charged with DUI, your first call should be to an experienced Boca Raton attorney to discuss your legal rights and options.
Anyone Can Face DUI Allegations
In recent years, many individuals who have claimed to be dedicated to preventing drunk driving have been accused of the practice themselves. For example, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is perhaps the most well-known advocacy group against impaired driving. Two different former presidents of the organization were arrested for DUI–one in 2011 and one in 2014.
In addition, MADD was very recently giving an award to a law enforcement officer from Pinellas County, Florida for making over 100 arrests for drunk driving. However, the officer reportedly showed up to the conference to accept the award in an intoxicated state. Witnesses told the media the officer was “wasted” when he arrived at the conference that day and many people questioned whether he had driven himself there that day while under the influence.
The above instances only show that even people who actively speak out against drunk driving or who are charged with DUI enforcement duties can make a mistake and drive while under the influence of alcohol. Anyone who drives drunk–whether they are a cop, an advocate, or another authority figure–risks getting arrested, causing an accident, or both if they drive while intoxicated.
DUI cases can be complicated and can have serious penalties such as probation, fines, losing your driver’s license, and much more. The penalties can increase if injury or property damage occurred during the suspected DUI accident. For this reason, anyone facing such accusations should immediately contact an experienced DUI defense attorney for help.
An Experienced Boca Raton Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help
If you have been accused of driving under the influences of alcohol, you are facing a wide variety of potentially serious consequences if you are convicted. Having a skilled criminal defense lawyer on your side can greatly improve your chances of a favorable result. In addition, if you have sustained serious injuries because of a drunk driver, a personal injury attorney in Boca Raton can stand up for your rights to recover from that driver. At the law office of Lavalle, Brown & Ronan, our team of attorney can handle criminal DUI cases as well as drunk driving accident cases. Please call us today at 888-646-1315 for a free consultation.