Wife Charged with Drinking and Driving After Refusing Breathalyzer Test
The wife of Madison, Alabama Mayor Paul Finley was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) after refusing to submit to a breathalyzer test. Julie Finley, age 50, was pulled over just after 4:30 in the afternoon after law enforcement officers observed her vehicle driving at a speed of over 100 mph in the right-hand lane of a local highway before jerking her vehicle into the left-hand lane.
After being pulled over, Finley refused to submit to testing to determine her Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC). At this time, she was formally arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence and then booked into the local jail for Madison County just after 6:00 p.m. Finley was released at 6:30 a.m. the next morning after posting the $1,000 bond.
Finely has retained an attorney for her trial, and her husband, the mayor of Madison, released a statement to the press following the incident. In his statement, Mayor Finley acknowledged the incident and expressed that he and his family did not wish to “hide” or “downplay” the seriousness of the event. He then thanked the community for their support and understanding during the coming days.
Should Mrs. Finley be convicted of Driving Under the Influence, she faces a number of penalties under Alabama state law. Assuming this is her first DUI offense, she faces between $600 and $2,100 in monetary fines and a 90-day driver’s license suspension. Additionally, since she refused a breathalyzer test, she also faces an automatic license suspension under the state’s “implied consent” law.
As with Mrs. Finley, the best course of action for someone who has refused a breathalyzer test or has been charged with a drinking and driving offense is to retain the legal counsel of a skilled DUI attorney. Attorneys who are versed in the state’s DUI laws are an invaluable resource for those individuals who are facing conviction and the penalties associated with it.
DUI attorneys can review and evaluate their client’s drinking and driving case along with the evidence that is present. Based on the review, a DUI suspect’s attorney can make recommendations to the individual about how to proceed, which may include taking the case to trial, pleading guilty, or taking a plea bargain. Additionally, a DUI attorney can let his or her client know the possible outcomes of the case at hand.