Salem Massachusetts Police reported that a concerned citizen’s call prompted the arrest of a Salem man on drunk driving charges. Apparently the caller followed the driver for several miles and stayed with the car until police were able to catch up to the parties. The witness related that the driver had run over a traffic island, gone through a stop sign and driven the wrong way down a one way street. The witness detailed the driver’s route in great detail. When the police stopped the suspect he admitted to drinking too much and stated that he just wanted to go to bed. He refused a breath test and refused to take field sobriety tests. The man was charged with drunk driving in the Salem District Court.
Read Full Artricle, Salem Daily News August 23, 2008.
Drunk driving in Massachusetts is governed by G.L. c. 90 sec. 24 and G.L. c. 90 sec. 24D. The penalties for a conviction of drunk driving vary. Multiple offenders received sentences more severe than first time offenders. If there is an accident or if someone is injured the penalties for first time offenders can be of great consequence as well.
Most Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyers handle drunk driving cases on a regular basis. In the case discussed above, the defendant had an absolute right not to take the breathalyzer test and the field sobriety tests. In Massachusetts your refusal to take those tests cannot be mentioned at trial by the prosecutor, judge or anyone else. You should not be fooled by police officers who tell you that taking these tests is in your best interest. If you have been drinking then it is usually advisable that you do not take these tests. Field sobriety tests are very subjective. The opinion of the police officer governs. People who are not intoxicated are often intimidated by the process and are nervous when taking the fields sobriety tests. This nervousness can result in a poor performance on the tests. The breathalyzer test is often not administered properly. In that situation your reading might provide a false positive.
Our office has handled hundreds of drunk driving cases in Massachusetts and other states. We understand how the tests work and what is required to get an acquittal. We have proven that our clients were not impaired even in situations where they have admitted to consuming what some people might consider large quantities of alcohol.
If you are looking to hire a lawyer for a drunk driving case consider our firm by clicking on Massachusetts Drunk Driving Defense Lawyers.
Related Web Resources:
Massachusetts Law About Drunk Driving Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
Massachusetts Drunk Driving Statistics A statistical look at alcohol related fatalities since 1982
Massachusetts Drunk Driving Attorneys Kathleen McCarthy
Massachusetts Drunk Driving Lawyers Robert Wheeler