Nov 16, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
Recently there has been a DUI crackdown on Interstate 77, near Rock Hill, SC, has accumulated almost 20 arrests on driving under the influence and more than 70 total traffic citations. Also, a Lancaster County, SC operation on U.S. 521 led to 10 additional arrests on DUI charges.
Of the people arrested, five of them were drug-related, five were for driving under suspension, and nine were illegal alcohol cases. However, the majority of them were for minor traffic violations, such as a broken tail light or an expired registration.
The officers reported that for some of the stops, people had marijuana and open containers in plain sight of the officers. Troopers have stated that they plan on initiating more traffic stops such as this in the late hours of the night.
Finally, the officers set up a mobile breath test unit that tested the driver’s BAC, and if it registered higher than a 0.08, they were brought toYorkCountyDetentionCenter. The ramps were chosen because of the statistics of accidents in the area such as the volume of the traffic, the layout of the ramps, and the crash records in the area. 
Troopers state that they are going to continue to crack down on DUI and other violations, and license checkpoints can be expected in the future. Therefore, if you or a loved one has been involved in a DUI or other crime related to driving on the roadways, call the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP. We have attorneys who are experienced in the law and are here to help you. We can be contacted in northern South Carolina at our Fort Mill, Baxter Village Office at 803-548-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999.
Nov 14, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
A 26-year-old Lancaster, SC man is being charged with public intoxication along with two counts of unlawful neglect of a child after he was pulled over by police while driving a moped. The man told police that he had run out of beer and was going to get more, according to the report. Also, he told deputies that he had left his children home by themselves.
When the deputies arrived at the man’s house, they found a 6-month-old and a 2-year-old child asleep. They were unharmed, but officers report the children were wearing only diapers and the house was a scattered mess. Mice were also running around inside.
The man was placed in Lancaster County Detention Center, and the Department of Social Services was notified of the situation. The children were placed in the custody of their mother.
If you have been charged with an alcohol related crime or a DUI in South Carolina, the law offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP are here to work for you. We have experienced professionals who are knowledgeable regarding alcohol related crimes. Call our Fort Mill, SC office at 803-548-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999.
Nov 12, 2012 | Assault and Battery, Drug Crimes and Controlled Substances Defense, DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
A York County police report this weekend stated that a man kicked a York County Sheriff Deputy after he was a pulled over for driving under the influence of pills and alcohol. Thereafter, he attempted to flee from police.
The man was pulled over into the Food Lion parking lot near Lake Wylie. The police report states that the deputy attempted to stop the man, and a pursuit around the parking lot ensued. The man appeared intoxicated to police while he was racing the engine of his Ford Mustang.
When police attempted to tase the man, he ripped the taser leads from his body and began to run. The police then reportedly tackled him down an embankment. Then, according to police, the man struck a deputy by kicking him as the police attempted to tase the man a second time.
The man is being charged with DUI, possession of controlled substances, underage possession of alcohol and four counts of assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest, according to authorities.
The decision to consume alcohol can lead to implications that can last a lifetime. At the law offices of Reeves Aiken & Hightower, we understand the troubles associated with alcohol consumption, and we are here to ensure that you are represented by a firm that is willing to fight for you. If you or a loved one has been charged with a crime related to the intoxication of alcohol, or stemming from the intoxication from alcohol, we will do whatever is in our power to present mitigating circumstances to the court. If you are charged in York, Lancaster, Chester, Clover, Rock Hill, Fort Mill, or anywhere else in the region, call our Baxter Village office at 803-548-4444, or toll-free at 877-374-5999.
Nov 12, 2012 | Car Accidents, DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
In the continuing effort to make our roads safer, Police set up DWI checking stations in Mecklenburg County over the weekend, resulting in over 140 charges filed.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police were stationed in the 8300 block of Nations Ford Road from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. There, a total of 82 charges were filed, including five DWIs, 14 driving while license revoked, four no insurance, one no seat belt, and one open container.
Saturday, CMPD, UNCCPD and Pineville Police Department collaborated in the DWI checking station in the 2200 block of Central Avenue. Officials filed another 60 charges during the four-hour campaign.
Out of the charges filed on Saturday, 10 were DWIs, 15 driving while license revoked, two open container, one possession of cocaine with intent to deliver/sell, two carry of concealed weapon and one possession of marijuana.
In 2010, 10,228 people were killed in alcohol-impaired motor vehicle crashes. These fatalities accounted for 31 percent of motor vehicle fatalities in the U.S. that year. It’s no surprise that police across the nation are cracking down on drunk driving. There is never a good excuse for drinking and driving. If you know you will be drinking, arrange for transportation ahead of time and always have a backup. When you or someone you love is involved in a serious accident, call the DUI Attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.
Nov 12, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
A Lancaster, South Carolina man has been charged with driving under the influence after he was involved in a car accident where his car flipped along a stretch of road on West Meeting Street.
The accident happened at 1:00 a.m. as the man was driving his 2011 Chevrolet two-door vehicle north, when he struck an embankment and flipped over. Luckily nobody was injured.
If you or a loved one has been charged with DUI (driving under the influence), call the law offices of Reeves Aiken & Hightower and we can help with your claim. Our Baxter Village, South Carolina office can be contacted at 803-548-4444, or we can be contacted toll-free at 877-374-5999.
Nov 2, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
There is a new law in South Carolinaregarding driving under the influence charges. S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1900 states that “a vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within the lane and shall not be moved from the lane until the driver has first ascertained that such movement can be made with safety.”
In State v. Vinson, Mr. Vinson contended that the circuit court erred in denying his motion to dismiss because the police did not have “reasonable articulable suspicion” to justify the traffic stop. State v. Vinson, No. 5044. The police stated that they saw the man veer back and forth from the traffic lines, which along with some other factors justified the stop. Id. Vinson contends the stop was in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights because, as he states, the officer did not have probable cause based on reasonable articulable suspicion to arrest him. Id.
As stated in State v. Butler, “as a general matter, the decision to stop an automobile is reasonable where the police have probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred. The police, however, may also stop and briefly detain a vehicle if they have a reasonable articulable suspicion that the occupants are involved in criminal activity.” State v. Butler, 343 S.C. 198, 202 (2000). Therefore, in South Carolina, courts look at the reasonableness of the officers’ stop, which is determined by the totality of the circumstances. Id. The totality of the circumstances approach is utilized by analyzing the circumstances surrounding the actual stop to ascertain whether the stop of a vehicle was reasonable and justified by “reasonable suspicion.” Id. One of the factors to be determined is whether the vehicle has swerved across the painted lines in the road.
For the Vinson case, the officer determined that in his experience, statistics, the absence of any other traffic on the road, the day of the week, the time of night; coupled with the fact that the driver was crossing over the lines on the road, meant the driver was under the influence of alcohol. Therefore, drivers in South Carolina must be wary of S.C. Code Ann. §56-5-1900, because they can be pulled over by the police if the police determine that they have crossed over the white or yellow lines on the road. No more suspicion is necessary because this statute makes crossing “unsafely” over the lanes a violation.
If you or a loved one has been issued a DUI as a result of this statute, contact the Law Offices of Reeves, Aiken & Hightower. We are equipped to handle any kind of DUI case in South Carolina. You can contact our Baxter Village, South Carolina office at 803-548-4444 or contact us toll-free at 877-374-5999.
