11 Sep Maryland lawmaker charged with drunk driving

On behalf of Jack B. Rubin, PA posted in Drunk Driving on Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

There are some professionals in this society that are held to higher standards of conduct than others. Policemen, medical doctors and lawyers are among some of these professionals. However, elected government officials are probably held to one of the highest standards of conduct in society. Unfortunately, one member of the Maryland House of Delegates is being accused of not living up to these standards following his recent drunk driving charge.

The incident happened when the lawmaker was pulled over by police at approximately 12:42 a.m. in mid-August for driving faster than the legally allowed limit. The man was allegedly driving 70 miles per hour in a zone with a 55 mile-per-hour speed limit. After pulling over the man, the police determined he had been intoxicated and arrested him on drunk driving as well as 14 other violations which included negligent driving, reckless driving, exceeding the speed limit as well as driving with expired vehicle registration.

However, this is not the first time the lawmaker hed been in trouble with the law over being intoxicated. In mid-December 2012 he was involved in a boating accident which resulted in him being charged with operating the vessel while intoxicated. Several people were injured as a result of the boating incident. After pleading guilty, the man was set to be sentenced in mid-October; however, the lawmaker is currently appealing his jail sentence.

The trial date for the recent drunk driving charge in Maryland was set for early November. Although there may be ample evidence against the defendant lawmaker, he still has the right to defend himself against the charges in the court of law. A successful defense strategy can result in an acquittal of the charges or even a reduced punishment. However, he will have to be able to effectively apply the law to his specific situation by presenting his case in front of a judge.

Source: The Retriever Weekly, Maryland delegate charged with DUI, Daniel Stonko, Sept. 3, 2013