The guessing game of figuring out whether you are okay to drive after having a drink or two can be very tricky. You subjectively feel below the legal limit, but the police may say otherwise. As a result, you could end up getting arrested for DWI even when you swear you were not obviously intoxicated.
It appears that is what happened to reality television star Buddy Valastro recently. According to news reports, Valastro, known as the “Cake Boss” after the title of his TV show, pleaded guilty to driving impaired after being arrested in New York City in mid-November.
Police in Manhattan pulled over Valastro’s car early on Nov. 13. He later said that he had been at a business dinner where he had some alcohol, but did not believe he was impaired. However, in a court complaint authorities claimed that Valastro’s blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.09 percent, just over the legal limit.
After his guilty plea, Valastro was sentenced to a three-month driver’s license suspension and a fine of about $300. Later, he said he was “very disappointed in myself” and swore never to drive again after having even one drink.
There are DWI cases where the suspect was clearly too impaired to drive. Then there are cases where the driver had a glass and a half of wine, and felt totally sober. No matter what the police say you did, the prosecutor is not the only side who gets to speak in court. An experienced DWI defense attorney can defend his or her client’s rights during the pre-trial and trial phases, contest any dubious evidence and possibly obtain a not guilty verdict.
