Many Pennsylvanians are charged with drunk driving each year. People may face DUI charges regardless of their social position as was recently demonstrated by the arrest of actor Christopher McDonald. According to news sources, McDonald was charged with drunk driving on Oct. 28 in California.
According to authorities with the San Bernadino County Sheriff’s Office, McDonald reportedly ran off the road and struck a gas meter while he was driving. At 11:40 p.m., McDonald was booked into custody at the Big Bear Jail and charged with driving with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.08 percent. It is unclear from the reports what his actual BAC level was.
The incident was not McDonald’s first drunk driving offense. He reportedly was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Oct. 2013 while he was in Wilmington, North Carolina. At that time, McDonald stated that it was a misunderstanding because he was not actually driving when he was charged with the offense. Under North Carolina law, however, people may be charged with drunk driving even if their vehicles are not moving when they are stopped by officials.
People who are facing drunk driving charges might benefit by speaking to criminal defense lawyers. Attorneys may be able to identify all of the defenses that are available to their clients and use them to secure more favorable outcomes. For example, if there were problems with the manner in which the officers stopped the vehicles or conducted their investigations, it may be possible for the lawyers to secure suppression of the evidence and dismissal of the charges. In other cases, the lawyers may be able to secure pleas for reduced charges or alternative sentences.
