On Jan. 19, police in Iowa spotted a vehicle being driven at 60 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. This took place at about 7:37 p.m near the 1400 block of West Broadway. When police made contact with the man, it was noted that he was slurring his speech and had bloodshot eyes. Furthermore, the vehicle smelled like alcohol. A Breathalyzer test revealed that the man had a blood alcohol content of .207 percent.
He also performed poorly during field sobriety testing. Police charged the man with a first offense for driving under the influence of alcohol as well as driving on a suspended or revoked license. He had told officers that he didn’t have a license when they first contacted him. Furthermore, he was charged with child endangerment as there was a child in the car when police conducted the traffic stop.
A conviction for driving under the influence could carry a variety of penalties including jail time and a fine. Other financial penalties could include paying court costs and legal fees. However, it may still be in a person’s best interest to talk with an attorney after being charged with a DUI especially if other charges have been levied against an individual.
An attorney may be able to create a defense against a DUI charge such as the fact that the car was experiencing mechanical difficulties that caused it to reach high speeds. It may also be possible to claim a driver was experiencing a medical condition while driving or while interacting with police. If a driver is shown not to be drunk, it may also cast doubt about the veracity of child endangerment or other charges a person faces in a drunk or impaired driving case.