Arrested for DUI, Do NOT Call a Drunk Friend for a Ride

Posted in General on January 12, 2015

Many people are guilty of getting behind the wheel of a car after having consumed too much alcohol at some point in their lives and could have been charged with driving under the influence had they been pulled over. For anyone that is pulled over and arrested for DUI, he or she is often transported to a local hospital for a blood draw, then taken to a processing center for fingerprinting and mugshots, and then the person is released. Upon being released, the person generally calls a family member or friend to pick him or her up from the police station or processing center.

Do Not Call a Drunk Driver for a Ride

I have heard stories and reports over the years that people have been arrested for DUI after driving to the processing center or the police department to pick up a friend. A recent story out of New Jersey takes the cake. According to an online newspaper, a woman was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence after swerving on the roadway and failing field sobriety tests. The woman called a friend to pick her up from the police station. After the friend arrived at the station, an officer felt that the woman appeared intoxicated. The second woman failed field sobriety tests that were given in the lobby of the police station and was then arrested for DUI. A search of the woman’s purse also led to the discovery of prescription Vicodin pills, but the woman did not have a prescription for the pills and was thereby charged with misdemeanor possession of drugs.

The second woman called a male friend for a ride. After the man arrived at the police station, an officer again detected signs of intoxication, and the male was also arrested for suspicion of drunk driving. The male then also contacted a friend for a friend. The good news is that the third time was a charm because the third person contacted for a ride was NOT under the influence, so he was permitted to take all three of these DUI offenders home.