A man is in custody at the Oklahoma County jail on DUI and related charges following an early morning traffic stop on Dec. 22. According to news sources, the 31-year-old driver was traveling with two young children in a pickup truck in the vicinity of Laird and S.E. 22nd in Oklahoma City when police pulled him over. At press time, he is being held on $24,000 bond, and the minor children have been released to a family member.
The incident occurred at approximately 2 a.m. when an Oklahoma City police officer noticed the man's vehicle run off the road while making a wide right turn. The vehicle then pulled back onto and across the road to the left where it narrowly missed hitting a sign on the side of the roadway.
Records indicate that police detected the odor of alcohol emanating from the man and that his eyes appeared bloodshot and watery. Although the driver did step out of the vehicle when asked to do so, he did not cooperate when officials requested that he submit to a field sobriety test. According to reports, the man was unsteady on his feet, and he was not able to produce a valid driver's license. The alleged drunk driver did admit to having consumed three beers when questioned by the officer.
The driver, who police say has a prior drunk driving conviction in Oklahoma County, is now facing charges of child endangerment by DUI and driving under the influence of alcohol. Because both a prior DUI conviction and the presence of a child under the age of 18 in the vehicle are aggravating factors, a conviction in this case could potentially result in life-altering penalties.
A skilled criminal defense attorney may be able to identify problems with the prosecution's evidence that might weaken the state's case. Alternatively, the attorney could possibly help the client pursue counseling or take other proactive measures that might lead to reduced charges.
Source: News9.com, "Man arrested in OKC for driving drunk with kids in car", Xin Xin Liu, December 22, 2014
