Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney BlogSister Passes the Buck on DUI Charge
Drivers pulled over for a Los Angeles DUI try many different ways to avoid getting a DUI charge on their records. Some plead with the arresting officers asking for a break; others may hire experienced attorneys who will look for flaws in the government’s case. Some people will even lie about their identities to the arresting officers, although that ruse does not work well over the long term.
Shannon Whack, age 31, said she had been attending a party on March 17th at her (now-ex) boyfriend’s home when he became abusive. Grabbing her two young kids, she got into her car at 2:30 in the morning and left, despite the fact that she allegedly had been drinking much of the evening.
Police officers in Graham, North Carolina, caught up with Whack and determined that she had been DUI, according to the Times News of Burlington, North Carolina. They took her to jail, but Whack probably knew that admitting her real identity would get her in even more trouble, because she reportedly had been driving on a suspended license (not for a DUI, however). Her workaround was to give the booking officers her sister’s name and birth date.
Whack’s sister (unnamed in the article) got the situation straightened out with authorities the next day. When the case came to court in mid-July, Whack pleaded guilty to DUI; in return, the district attorney dismissed the charges of driving on a suspended license and identity theft. Since she had her young children in the vehicle, however, Whack will spend weekends in jail (30 days total), remain on supervised probation for several years and have her parenting overseen by social services.
Whack would also face enhanced penalties in California for DUI with her young passengers. Under Vehicle Code 23572, a motorist who carries children under age 14 in his/her car can face from 48 hours to 90 days of additional jail time.
Please call the experienced Los Angeles DUI lawyers at the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers for substantial and skilled assistance with your case and a free, private consultation.