Some criminal charges clearly focus upon individuals with quite specific tendencies and a predilection to act in a certain manner. A person who has unquestionably committed multiple murders is just as unquestionably a violent person. An individual charged with large-scale drug trafficking is likely to have a background marked by previous involvement with illegal drugs.
Linking a specific criminal charge with persons having a narrowly defined mindset is hardly a ticket for accuracy in every instance, though.
A drunk driving charge levied in Oklahoma or elsewhere is a case in point. In fact, DUI cases routinely establish that a cookie-cutter profile of an offending individual can never be assumed. In fact, doing so is nonsensical.
Put another way: A DUI stop and arrest is a flatly egalitarian affair. That is, people of every conceivable persuasion have their lives disrupted by behind-the-wheel stops that yield drinking-related criminal charges.
DUI-linked scenarios are truly diverse and wide-ranging. They feature individuals like the following, along with a broad universe of other actors:
- A company employee (male or female) who is returning home after having a Friday afternoon drink or two at a local pub with co-workers
- A college student who raised a couple celebratory toasts with peers following final exams before heading home to see mom and dad
- An individual revealed to have both alcohol and a drug in his or her system (often that drug is legally prescribed or an over-the-counter medication)
- A holder of a commercial driver’s license who was stopped after consuming a couple beers
That bullet list is notably truncated. The fact is that people of every stripe are arrested daily across Oklahoma for allegedly driving drunk. Individuals who face potentially stark penalties range from teachers, store owners, doctors and housewives to secretaries, accountants, construction workers and clergy members. Notably, too, law enforcers themselves are also stopped occasionally on suspicion of drunk driving.
Proven DUI-defense attorneys know this, too: People spanning virtually every age group receive close roadway scrutiny, with arrests involving drivers of truly advanced age and underage motorists being equally common. The same is true for drivers of both sexes, all races and every socioeconomic stratum.
Why strong legal advocacy is merited in a DUI case
The bottom line stressed in one online spotlighting of Oklahoma drunk driving laws and enforcement is that the state “takes DUIs very seriously.” Penalties for even a first-time offender can yield jail time, license suspension, heavy court costs/fines, spiked insurance rates, imposed community service and even job loss.
Securing timely and knowledgeable assistance from an experienced DUI-defense legal team can help to mitigate those consequences and promote a best-case outcome for any individual charged with drunk driving.