5/31/2005 - Posted by: Stone & Associates, P.A. Phone: 904-396-3335 Alt. Phone: 904-536-9309 Fax: 904-399-4540 Mobile: 904-536-9309 Send Email Visit Website
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PILOT AQUITTED OF DUI SAVES JOB
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Our client was a former Navy fighter pilot who had just been honorably discharged and was flying for a commercial airline. He was driving home after a night out with friends when he saw the blue emergency lights in his rearview mirror. He pulled over and was immediately subjected to a barrage of questions about his recent alcohol consumption. He performed field exercises and was arrested for DUI. He took the breath test and it registered .174 and .182. We prevailed at the DMV hearing so that he did not have an administrative suspension on his record. That was important since pilots generally are subjected to employment problems if they have a license suspension due to a DUI arrest. At trial it was demonstrated that the breath test machine had been having accuracy problems for several years and although it appeared to be working the month before and month after the arrest we discovered that it had completely broke down three months after the arrest. That coupled with our client's decent performance on the field exercises and the minimal driving pattern lead to a Not Guilty verdict which saved our client's career.
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