Getting accused of driving while intoxicated can be alarming and even embarrassing. The person who faces DUI charges, however, has the right to defend himself or herself against the formal accusations. One man recently found himself in this scenario after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in South Carolina.
Reportedly, the police pulled the man over near U.S. Route 1 in Kershaw County. They suspected that he had been drinking. After stopping his car, the authorities say that they discovered three children in his vehicle.
The man, said to be 51, apparently could not remember the ages of two of the children. The third child was his. The man reportedly failed a sobriety test, though no breath test was completed. The man faces charges of DUI as well as child endangerment and driving with no state driver’s license.
DUI charges can lead to time in jail and other consequences. For instance, a person might have a hard time landing a job with a drunk driving conviction on his or her record; the individual could also find it challenging to rent a vehicle. Nevertheless, DUI charges have to be proved beyond a reasonable doubt before any conviction is possible. The accused person might elect to consider a plea agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty to lesser charges, or he or she might decide to go to trial with the hope of being found not guilty. Anyone charged with committing a crime in South Carolina has legal rights that must be protected pursuant to state and federal laws.
Source: wfxg.com, “Man driving 3 kids charged with DUI, child endangerment”, Jason Old, Aug. 6, 2014