DUI Drugs

Concord/Clayton police report
DUI — Police arrested two motorists on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, including a Concord man, 22, at 2:35 a.m. at Ayers Road and Concord Boulevard; and a Danville man, 72, at 5:45 p.m. in the 1800 block of Colfax Street.

Published Mar 30, 2011.
Read more: Concord Transcript

Product Description

Sid Davis’ The Bottle and the Throttle is a classic scare tactics video about the dangers of drunk driving and alcohol abuse. A teenager, Bill, has a few beers at a party and decides that’s he is well enough to drive. The narrator, using drunk driving statistics from the National Safety Council and the American Medical Association, explains that the popular notion that you have to be drunk to be impaired is a myth. One of the many disturbing stories of drunk driving follows: Bill hits a mother and child, killing the child and paralyzing the mother. Drunk driving car accidents is one of the main consequences of impaired driving. Because of one bad decision, Bill has ended one life and ruined two others, the mother’s and his own. This film also includes scenes from actual drunk driving clips as well as dramatizations of how police test drivers for alcohol impairment and facts about alcohol. Don’t be one of the countless drunk driving victims! Prevent drunk driving with this classic video.

1961 Drunk Driving Accidents & Teenage Alcohol Abuse Film: The Bottle and the Throttle

 

As a DUI attorney in Sarasota who has handled DUI cases for many years, Jeff Haynes explains that if you’ve been charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol in Florida, you are probably concerned about the possible ramifications.

 

Speaking from my own experience, Florida has some of the toughest DUI laws in the United States. Therefore, you have good reason to be nervous if you’ve been charged with a DUI in Florida. In fact, Florida is among the worst states in which to find yourself charged with a DUI. The reason is that not only are Florida’s definitions of DUI extremely broad, the penalties for DUI convictions are also quite steep.

 

Broad Definitions of DUI

DUI is defined as driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs in most states. But in Florida, it’s possible to be charged with and convicted of DUI without ever having set your vehicle in motion. In fact, you don’t even need to have turned on the ignition. According to Florida’s DUI laws, you can be charged with driving under the influence if you are either a) operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs or b) in what’s called “actual physical control” of a motor vehicle while under the influence. This means that if you’re in a vehicle and that vehicle is in a condition that would allow it to be operated by you (e.g., you are sitting behind the wheel with the keys in your lap), you can be arrested and charged with a DUI.

 

When it comes to examples of actual physical control cases, they range from “sleeping it off” in a bar parking lot to passing out at a stoplight. Regardless of whether you’re actively operating a vehicle while intoxicated, as long as you’re in a position to do so, you can be charged. In addition, there are a number of other substances — literally hundreds — with the potential to affect your ability to safely operate a vehicle, according to the law. Many medications, even those prescribed by your doctor, have the potential to render you legally “impaired.”

 

Tough Penalties for DUI

In Florida, penalties for DUI have always been tough. But recently, penalties for a charge commonly referred to as “DUI manslaughter” have gotten even tougher. When an individual, while driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, is responsible for an accident that results in someone’s death, he can be charged with DUI manslaughter — a felony offense. A recent statute imposed a mandatory four-year prison sentence on anyone convicted of DUI manslaughter. This statute is a big deal, as I can’t think of another state with a minimum prison sentence for DUI.

 

Remember, any DUI case in Florida could potentially result in jail time. Sometimes even if your DUI case doesn’t involve an accident, you could still face very stiff penalties, including jail time. That is why I recommend seeking help from an attorney as quickly as possible after your arrest. Most people simply don’t understand the importance of hiring an attorney when they’re charged with DUI. If you don’t hire an attorney, you’re forfeiting any opportunity you might have to contest the charge as well as waiving any possible legal defense you might have.

 

This article is for informational purposes only.  You should not rely on this article as a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances, and you should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.  Publication of this article and your receipt of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship.

 

Originally published here.

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Jeffrey Haynes

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