A Maryland public official was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to a charge of driving while impaired. It was determined that the Charles County commissioners’ vice president would be supervised for the first three months of his sentence and barred from operating a county vehicle for the next three years. Upon successful completion of the probationary period, the DWI conviction would be expunged from the man’s record. He was expected to run for Charles County commissioners’ president in the next election.
The incident that led to the charge for drunk driving took place on Jan. 30 at approximately 8:35 p.m. While traveling in a sedan along St. Charles Parkway, the man was pulled over by a Charles County sheriff’s officer. According to the officer, the man was seen driving onto the shoulder of the road. The officer also claims that the man had bloodshot eyes and a strong alcohol odor on his breath.
In court, the man mentioned that the incident marked the first time that he had been in any kind of trouble. Following his detainment, he explained to a local reporter that he had made the mistake of driving after a family dinner that included wine. According to reports, when he was stopped by his home and office, the man was given a breath test and found to have a blood-alcohol content of .10 percent.
The man, in this case, may have received a reduced sentence in part because of his status as a first-time offender. After being charged for DWI, a person with an otherwise clean record may be able to work out a similar plea deal in order to avoid spending time behind bars and having a conviction on their criminal record permanently. While negotiating a plea bargain with the prosecution, a criminal defense attorney may point to certain mitigating factors, such as the defendant’s cooperation with the arresting police officer.