Anytime someone is arrested and charged with a crime, the police may look deeper into that person's background to determine whether that person has any other previous convictions for similar alleged crimes. In a case of drunk driving in Indiana and elsewhere, any previous convictions within a certain period of time can lead to harsher criminal consequences regarding any subsequent convictions. Recently in Indiana, a man was arrested for an OWI, and it was discovered that the man had previous drunk driving arrests this year.
The 76-year-old was pulled over on a Thursday night. It was unclear what exactly led police to pull over the man. The police apparently gave him field sobriety tests,and the police also report the man had an alcohol level of over the legal limit. However, there were no reports of what tests were specifically given and what his actual blood alcohol content may have been.
Upon further investigation, the police discovered the man had two drunk driving arrests already on his record. The police reported that this was his third charge in this past year, though it was not clear if the other arrests both resulted in convictions. He was also cited with a charge of driving on a suspended license.
When a person is arrested for a subsequent drunk driving charge, any evidence in the case should be careful studied and evaluated as there may be a lot on the line for the person facing the charges. The details of how a field sobriety test is conducted and the exact type of test to discover alcohol levels should be carefully analyzed by a legal professional. Repeat convictions for DUIs or OWIs can lead to steep fines, longer periods without a license and possible jail time in Indiana. While it is unclear if this man's past arrests led to convictions in each instance, an OWI charge can result in a felony charge if there was a conviction within the last five years. A legal professional with experience handling these types of cases can help a person charged pursue the most favorable outcome possible under the circumstances.