Whenever police pull over someone for suspected drunk driving, there is typically a procedure for testing for alcohol and for deciding whether an arrest and charges are in order. There may be breath tests given, field sobriety tests and blood alcohol tests too. If a driver is found to already have drunk driving charges on his or her record, there may be harsh penalties possible with a subsequent DUI related conviction. A Tennessee man has found himself under arrest and facing drunk driving charges for an alleged fourth time.
The man was driving on a Tennessee roadway when police contend he was speeding. He was pulled over and the police deputy stated that there was an odor of alcohol on his breath. This apparently led the deputy to conduct field sobriety tests at the scene. According to the police officer on the scene, the 40-year-old man failed the tests he was given.
According to reports, this is the fourth time the man has been charged with drunk driving. He was also charged with speeding and operating a motor vehicle despite a revoked license. The exact tests given at the scene were not reported, and no details provided as to why the man was considered to have failed the tests.
Any kind of field sobriety tests given when someone faces drunk driving charges could be seen as subjective and may be open for interpretation. Anyone who is facing a drunk driving charge in Tennessee and who also has previous convictions may want to know what kind of sentencing guidelines may impact their case should a conviction actually be obtained. Prior convictions may mean more time without a license, higher fines and possibly jail time, making preparation and awareness of any increased penalties vital to anyone dealing with drunk driving charges. Nevertheless, a DUI accusation is far from a conviction, and the accused is entitled to the benefit of the doubt unless and until prosecutors can prove otherwise by competent and relevant evidence.
Source: host.madison.com, "Tennessee driver arrested for alleged 4th drunken driving offense", Bill Novak, Aug. 11, 2014