A little over a week ago, on Saturday March 14, a man allegedly DUI (driving under the influence) hit a curb and plowed his car through Jennifer Aniston’s yard. Talk about someone being star struck, or better yet; a star’s yard being struck. From my legal perspective as a DUI and criminal defense attorney, three major mistakes were made by this alleged drunk driver, which I will elaborate on after sharing the story.
It was reported that Aniston’s security guard immediately called 911 to handle the unusual situation. Police showed up to the actress’ Bel Air estate a little after 8:30 pm. Upon questioning, the man told police that he was not the driver of the car, and that someone else had been behind the wheel. Unfortunately, his claim was quickly shot down due to the un-arguable video footage recorded by Jen’s state-of-the-art surveillance cameras clearing showing the man as the driver.
Police suspected the man of DUI and asked him to take the voluntary DUI field sobriety tests. Unfortunately, the man agreed to the tests – and needless to say he failed miserably and was arrested for DUI.
From my professional point of view, there were clearly 3 Big Mistakes made by this alleged drunk driver right from the get go;
1. He failed to immediately contact his DUI criminal defense lawyer. When in any type of accident related to drunk driving, or driving under the influence of drugs, the first thing an uninjured person should do is call their DUI criminal defense attorney. Their attorney will be able to provide advice on what to do and what not to do. If you do not have a DUI lawyer’s phone number programmed into your cell phone, do so now; David O Defense (206) 459-6392, we are available 24/7.
2. Don’t talk to law enforcement without your attorney present. This man tried to talk his way out of being arrested for DUI by saying he wasn’t the driver, however, his statements were proven to be lies and now he could face the additional criminal charge of obstruction. Additionally, by lying he has tarnished his credibility. If he would have exercised his right to remain silent, and chose not to talk to cops, he would be in a much better position to defend his DUI charge. Don’t talk to cops.
3. Don’t agree to take the DUI field sobriety tests, they are voluntary. The man chose to take the DUI field sobriety tests and he failed, as most people do. The tests are challenging and can be difficult to pass even when an individual is sober. Additionally, the tests are voluntary and police must respect an individual’s decision to not take the tests. By not taking the DUI field sobriety tests, a person is generally in a better position for defending their DUI charge.