Oct 22, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Pedestrian Accidents, Uncategorized
In March of this year, a Rock Hill man was arrested and charged with a felony DUI when he hit a bicyclist with his vehicle, and then fled the scene of the crime.
Accordingly, the accident occurred on a Friday evening, where the cyclist was travelling alongside Heckle Boulevard. The details are a little hazy, but the defendant apparently hit the cyclist, and then just kept driving.
Sadly, this “hit-and-run” accident took the life of the cyclist. It is unknown whether his fatality occurred immediately upon impact, or if the pedestrian could have survived.
The defendant stopped a few minutes later down the road, only after witnesses had already reported the defendants vehicle to officers.
He was subsequently charged with Felony DUI for his criminal behavior.
Although a misdemeanor, being charged with “drunk driving” is a very serious offense. Even if it is your first one and you did not cause an accident or injure anyone, the stigma and long-term consequences are quite harsh. If convicted or you agree to plead guilty, you will lose your license and can potentially lose your job. What’s more, you will never be able to get reasonable automobile insurance rates once you have a prior DUI on your permanent record.
In the event that someone loses their life while driving intoxicated, the defendant maybe charged with a Felony DUI. If you, or someone you know has been charged with any sort of DUI, contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, to have your claim evaulated today. Call us at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.
Oct 22, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
Five Rock Hill residents were arrested during a Wednesday safety checkpoint set up in Rock Hill. Moreover, many other drivers were issued tickets as well.
The checkpoint was conducted by the Rock Hill Police Department, at the intersection of Poe and Culp between the hours of 7:30 and 9:00 a.m.
Of the five people arrested, four of the people were charged with having ” no drivers license,” while the other woman was charged with driving under a suspended license.
Fortunately, no drunk driving or drug charges were issued.
If you, or someone you know has been arrested during a safety or DUI checkpoint, call the Criminal Defense team at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP. With over 75 years of combined experience and a former prosecutor on your side, our legal team will fight to get you the justice you deserve.
Often times, arrests are made outside of the scope of the Constitution, denying some their fair Due Process. Call us today and let us hear your side of the story at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.
Oct 17, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
Why can’t all community service be so easy. Volunteers of Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Clover lined up to participate in training session for Rock Hill’s Police Department’s DUI team. Accordingly, the instructions for the volunteers was to drink until their Blood Alcohol Level (BAC) matched the numbers that the deputies used to train officers that are new to the field or force.
In fact, even some RHPD veterans took the training course to brush upon the DUI signs and detection methods of today. The officers selected BAC levels that they desired each participant to reach before they would be required to perform the routine field sobriety tests. Different volunteers were assigned different BAC levels to reach, ranging from a .05 to a .11. The legal limit in the state of South Carolina is .08 and anything below. Anything over that reading will allow the officer to c
harge you with a DUI.
The rules allowed each participant to bring their own liquor of choice, so long as it was 80 proof, or 40% alcohol. The training began at 8:30 a.m., and the first drink was served at 8:40 a.m. Moreover, each volunteer signed a waiver, agreeing to participate, whatever the outcome.
For the rest of the day, each volunteer was assigned a deputy, who escorted the person around until they “sobered up”, no matter how long it took.
When determining how quickly one will get drunk, two key factors are the person’s height and weight. the Master Deputy, who is head of the DUI detection training, says that DUIs have been and are remaining to be a huge problem in the county, state, and nation as a whole. So far this year, 85 DUIs have been given in York County alone.
Once the participant had reached the BAC level they were assigned, the Master Deputy preformed the horizontal gaze nystagmus, where they look for six indicators of intoxication. The “one-leg stand” and “walk-and-turn” were also administered.
The training, although enjoyable for the volunteers, was beneficial to all York County residents. This training allows officers to more readily detect when someone is over the legal limit. The benefit of officers receiving this training,however, outweighs the harm. With officers giving DUIs to intoxicated drivers, they are making the roads safer for you and your children.
However, there are times when even the dreaded “breathalyzer” maybe wrong. A machine is in fact, only a machine. Even the greatest of machines is bound to fail from time to time. If you, or a loved one has been involved in any sort of DUI accident, or has been charged with a DUI, please contact the law offices of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower. Our experienced litigators have represented parties on both sides of the courtroom; i.e., plaintiffs and defendants. Whichever category you fall in, please contact us today at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll free, and let us evaluate the severity of the situation for you.
Sep 18, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
As South Carolina experiences an increase in DUI and BUI enforcement, many people in lowcountry areas such as Charleston, North Charleston, James Island, Folly Beach, West Ashley, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Mount Pleasant, and Awendaw are unaware of the differences associated with driving under the influence and boating under the influence. While both charges are serious offenses, there are distinct differences in the procedures effecting the enforcement.
On land, law enforcement generally relies upon the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) to establish probable cause for a DUI arrest. The SFST was developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and includes three tests: 1) Horizontal gaze nystagmus 2) walk-and-turn and 3) One-leg stand. There is an ongoing debate about the effectiveness and scientific nature of these tests, but for the time being they relied upon by law enforcement to continue the prosecution of alleged DUI offenders. Also, South Carolina law mandates that the officer videotape the suspect with his/her in-dash camera while conducting these tests.
Boating Under the Influence (BUI) differs in multiple ways from a DUI. For the most part, the Department of Natural Resources is tasked with the responsibility to enforce the BUI laws. Similarly to the NHTSA, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators has developed its own method for testing boater’s sobriety. As you can imagine, it would not make much sense to administer the walk-and-turn test or the one-leg stand while on an unstable boat so the NASBLA test differs from the Standardized Field Sobriety Test. DNR uses the “Afloat Test Battery” to determine the sobriety of a boater. This test includes reciting the ABC’s, counting backwards from 25 to 1, a finger dexterity test, a palm pat test, and a touch finger to nose test. It is also an important distinction to realize that BUI laws do not require the arresting officer to videotape the suspect.
As the waterways, rivers, and lakes heat up it is important to understand the boating laws and the seriousness of both DUI/BUI offenses. In areas in and around the South Carolina lowcountry such as Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Folly Beach, James Island, Charleston, West Ashley, North Charleston, Moncks Corner, Mount Pleasant, and Awendaw, boaters will notice an increased DNR presence looking for drunk boaters. The DUI/BUI attorneys at Reeves Aiken & Hightower LLP stand ready to help you if you have been arrested and charged for DUI, BUI or DUAC. Before hiring an attorney, you should carefully check out their credentials and actual experience. For more information about our lawyers, please visit our website at www.rjrlaw.com. Or to schedule a confidential consultation about your particular case, please call us directly at 877-374-5999.
Sep 15, 2012 | DUI & DWI, Uncategorized
A Lexington County Sheriff, aiming to make S.C. roads safer, is asking bar owners to take on some responsibility for their intoxicated customers.
The sheriff is encouraging bar owners in three trouble spots in the county to limit the alcohol of drunken customers and arrange for safe transportation to take them home.Lexington County is currently leading the state in traffic fatalities, with a shocking 40 deaths so far this year.
Along with this initiative, deputies plan to increase patrols at trouble spots at S.C. 6 in the Red Bank area and parts of U.S. 1 and U.S. 378 along the South shore of Lake Murray.
South Carolina DUI Attorneys
If you or someone you love has been charged with a SC DUI, DUAC, or BUI, you should call the experienced DUI attorneys of Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower, LLP . In South Carolina, if a defendant blood alcohol content (BAC) is a .08 or above, then the State can legally charge you with “driving under the influence.” Call us today and speak directly with one of our lawyers at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll free. We have offices in Charlotte and throughout South Carolina. We would be honored to have an opportunity to help you and your family get through this most difficult time in your lives. Consult our criminal defense team and then hire the best DUI attorneys you have the most confidence in!
