A North Carolina man was taken into custody on July 14 for allegedly driving while under the influence. According to reports, the 36-year-old man was traveling on U.S. 321 in the area near Hardin Road at about 5 a.m. when a trooper clocked his speed at 88 mph.
After pulling the man over, the trooper noted that the man had red, glassy eyes and was unsteady when standing. He also had the odor of alcohol on his breath and was having trouble speaking. When he was given a breath test, his BAC was found to be at .23 percent, which is nearly three times the legal limit in the state of North Carolina.
It was noted that the man had a previous history of driving while under the influence. In 2005, he was sentenced to probation in Jackson County after being convicted of driving while impaired. In 2016, he was accused of streaking through a neighborhood. He received probation for this incident after he pleaded guilty to charges of resisting an officer. For his most recent incident, the man was being held at Gaston County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
Those who are caught drinking while driving could face severe legal punishments, including jail time, probation and even a loss of driving privileges. However, there are certain defense strategies that could reduce the severity of the consequences or even result in having the drunk driving charges dismissed. A criminal law attorney may question whether the initial traffic stop was valid. If a breath test was completed, the lawyer could even question if the testing device was properly calibrated and used.
