It is not often that you see a respected judge on the other side of the bench, being charged with DUI. However, that is exactly what happened in Florida recently, after a judge was arrested for driving under the first alcohol.
The incident occurred in Tampa, where Judge Tracy Sheehan was arrested after police officers found her car drifting across lane markers. The officer immediately pulled Sheehan over, and noticed that she was showing several signs of intoxication, including the smell of alcohol on her breath. He also noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and her speech was slurred.
The judge was administered a blood-alcohol test, and it was found that was driving with a blood-alcohol level, that was more than twice the legally permissible level of .08. The test recorded a reading of .171% and .161%. She has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, and was released after posting a bond of $ 500. Judge Sheehan is a respected member of the Florida judiciary, and was elected to court in 2007.
The judge has stated that she is very embarrassed about what happened. She has released a statement in which she says that she made a poor choice, and is disappointed in her choices.
Los Angeles DUI lawyers know that a DUI arrest can happen to anyone, as this case clearly illustrates. The judge had been out with a cousin having a few drinks, and didn't realize that a DUI arrest was very likely if she was pulled over.
Often, these cases are honest mistakes, which happen when a person is out driving, without realizing that he has enough alcohol in his system to fail a blood test or breathalyzer test. California has very strict DUI laws that can result in penalties including prison time and fines, as well as other penalties after a conviction.
