Being accused of a crime may not only result in serious legal consequences, but may also affect a person’s reputation. These are only a few of the reasons why it can be important to retain the services of an experienced criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible after charges are made. A Minnesota judge accused of drunk driving is now working with an attorney after allegedly failing a breath test.
Police stated that a sergeant on patrol witnessed a car exceeding the speed limit and failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. After pulling the driver over, he reported that the driver’s eyes were bloodshot, his speech was slurred and he smelled strongly of alcohol. The officer conducted a breath test in which the man, a district court judge, allegedly registered a .17 alcohol concentration, which is more than twice the legal limit.
The judge was charged with two counts of third-degree driving while intoxicated, careless driving and failing to stop for a stop sign. At his first court appearance, he pleaded guilty to one count of DWI, and the other charges were dismissed. The judge handling his case sentenced him to one year of imprisonment and stayed 345 of the days for two years. He qualified to serve his sentence at home under a monitoring system that includes an ankle bracelet.
Whenever a person suspected of driving while impaired fails a breath test, he or she would likely benefit from consulting an experienced Minnesota criminal defense attorney. An attorney can work toward protecting a person’s legal rights and help the client build a strong defense to present before the court. This could help to clear a person’s name or reduce a potential sentence.
Source: duluthnewstribune.com, “Judge admits New Year’s DUI, apologizes to ‘all of Minnesota’“, Mara H. Gottfried and S. M. Chavey, Jan. 2, 2018