A woman in New York was recently arrested for driving while intoxicated, or DWI, after police said they caught her driving in the wrong lane. According to authorities, the 27-year-old woman’s blood alcohol level at the time of her arrest was triple the state’s legal limit. However, the woman continues to be presumed innocent until — and only if — her guilt can be proven in court and beyond a reasonable doubt.
The woman’s arrest took place at about 9:20 p.m. on a Saturday. Police said they saw the woman driving in the road’s left lane without headlights, so they attempted to pull her over. However, she allegedly kept going instead. Authorities said they did finally manage to stop her, and during the traffic stop, they say they noticed that her breath smelled like alcohol. The woman was also reportedly slurring her speech, and her eyes appeared glassy.
Police then conducted sobriety tests on the woman, which she allegedly failed. Police said the woman also failed a Breathalyzer test. At that point, she was arrested on charges of DWI as well as aggravated DWI due to having a blood alcohol level higher than .18. The woman was also cited for not driving with her lights on and not staying in the correct lane.
The woman has every right to fight her DWI charges at trial. There, prosecutors must prove her charges beyond a reasonable doubt. A criminal defense attorney in New York will scrutinize the prosecution’s evidence to assess whether it is admissible in court. For instance, perhaps the breath tests or blood alcohol testing performed during the traffic stop were not administered properly. The attorney will ultimately pursue the most favorable outcome for the defendant given the circumstances surrounding her arrest.
