Centre County DUI – Parked In Bar Parking Lot

Bellefonte DUI Charges Dismissed

The client spent New Year’s Eve at a local bar near Bellefonte. After drinking a little too much, the client arranged for a ride so that he would not have to drive. The client knew that he had consumed enough alcohol, so he exited the bar and proceeded to his truck that was parked in the back parking lot. The client entered his truck and decided to sleep until his sober ride was ready to leave as well. Since it was late December, the client started his truck to run the heater to stay warm. Other bar patrons saw the truck running in the back parking lot for a period of time and then contacted the police to report a “suspicious vehicle.” No person observed the truck move or actually be operated by the client. The Bellefonte police arrived, and, after smelling alcohol on the client, conducted a DUI investigation. The client was arrested and transported to the hospital for a blood-alcohol test. After the test results evidenced that the client had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit, the client was charged with DUI.

The client retained experienced Bellefonte DUI defense lawyer Jason S. Dunkle to provide representation. At the preliminary hearing, Attorney Dunkle met with the Centre County District Attorney to discuss the fact that the evidence showed that the client had made arrangements for a ride, had started the truck solely for heat purposes, the truck was in the parking lot of the establishment where the client was drinking, and there was no evidence that the client had attempted to move or otherwise operate the vehicle. The Centre County District Attorney agreed to dismiss the DUI charges that had been filed in Centre County.