New York pro basketball fans are most likely familiar with former Knicks head coach Derek Fisher. Also a former NBA player, Fisher was taken into custody in June 2016 on the suspicion of driving under the influence after he was in a one-car accident in Los Angeles. County court records have now revealed that Fisher has been handed formal DUI charges for that incident.
Fisher was driving in Sherman Oaks, an area northwest of downtown Los Angeles, when his car veered off of U.S. Route 101. The 2015 Cadillac hit a guardrail and flipped over onto its roof, blocking a portion of the busy highway. Neither Fisher nor his passenger were injured.
He has now been arraigned on two misdemeanor counts. One is the operation of a vehicle while impaired by alcohol while, and the other is driving with a BAC of .08 or above, which is the legal limit in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Just as is the case in California, New York takes drunk driving charges very seriously. The penalties that might be imposed could include fines, a driver’s license suspension and even jail time. However, there are a variety of things that a criminal defense attorney might try to do in this type of a situation. For example, if it is the defendant’s first offense, the lawyer might try to seek an agreement with the prosecutor. Harsher penalties could possibly be waived if the defendant successfully completes alcohol counseling classes and performs a specified number of hours of community service.
