Florida representative pleads guilty to DUI charges

Drunk driving charges can affect anyone negatively, causing them to lose face and struggle with their work, home and social lives. For those in the public eye, it’s incredibly damaging to be charged, let alone convicted, of drunk driving. For those the media follows, charges can ruin their reputations and damage their job prospects.

Take for instance the case of Florida Representative Cary Pigman, who was placed on probation for drunk driving. A June 6 report discusses that the representative pleaded no contest to a charge for driving under the influence. He was placed on a one year probation.

The representative lost his license for six months as a result of the plea, and he also has to pay a fine of $500. He was ordered to go to DUI school and to perform 50 hours of community service.

At the time of his arrest, he had been driving a jeep and tested with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.14 and 0.15, both well above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

The police reported that when the man had to perform field-sobriety tests, he was off balance. Additionally, he nearly fell trying to complete the tasks and didn’t follow instructions given for another test.

Situations like this appear black-and-white, but there are many factors to consider. In your case, pleading no contest may not be the best option. Other options, like questioning the validity of the tests used on you, may be helpful and work in your favor. Your attorney can talk to you more about the ways you can defend yourself and protect your reputation.

Source: USA Today, “Florida Rep. Cary Pigman found guilty of DUI,” Isadora Rangel, June 06, 2017