Drunk driving is never a safe activity, and can lead to serious consequences. And regardless of the intoxicated driver’s age, location, or socioeconomic standing, they may still face charges in both civil and criminal court.
A recent post from the Grand Rapids Press illustrates that matters like drunk driving are never crimes that pertain to any type of particular group. Even the people we assume may be adequately aware of the dangers of driving under the influence can commit such an error. In the article, the writer details a drunk driving incident involving Charles Dillon, the president of West Shore Community College. The law should apply to everybody, and although the community college president paused during the field sobriety test and asked the police if they wanted to continue this procedure, the officers correctly continued to administer the test. Even before the sobriety test had begun, Mr. Dillon had informed the officers of his lofty position with the community college and that he had received a doctorate degree. He also told the officers that he was less than a mile from his house.
Regardless of how important a figure may believe him or herself to be, that is not an excuse to violate the law. The test results from the Michigan State Police crime lab showed that Mr. Dillon had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.186 when the officers stopped him under the suspicion of driving under the influence. The police allege that they had received several calls regarding the the community college president’s poor driving and that he did not initially stop his vehicle after the police’s usage of their police lights. While Mr. Dillon received a high reading concerning his blood alcohol level, at the scene of the crime, he related to the officers that he had taken a prescription pill, which he claimed was the reason that he had problems driving. When they asked him to recite the alphabet, he made numerous mistakes and admitted that his performance was poor. As a result of his actions, the school has placed Mr. Dillon on paid leave.
Prescription Pills and Driving Under The Influence?
There are some interesting legal issues that come into play regarding the situation with Mr. Dillon. For example, while the blood alcohol test that Mr. Dillon underwent showed a high level of alcoholic consumption, he originally implied that his driving difficulties were due to having taken a prescription pill. Even if a person takes a legally prescribed drug, it does not prevent a person from being charged for driving under the influence. Driving under the influence refers to the ability of a person to drive safely while under the influence of any type of drug, and the law does not distinguish between legal and illegal drugs.
Super Drunk Classification
Additionally, Mr. Dillon’s level of consumption could also result in another charge. There is a piece of legislation related to Michigan’s “super drunk” classification. The classification applies to first-time offenders of drunk driving who received a blood-alcohol reading that is 0.17 or above. If the state is able to convict a person under the super drunk provision, the defendant could face stronger penalties and pay larger fines.
If you have questions regarding car accidents in the state of Michigan, please contact the Clark Law Office. Our personal injury attorneys are available to discuss your case today and advise you on the best way to recover due compensation.
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