On St. Patrick’s Day, they say that there are only two kinds of people. Those who are Irish and those who wish they were Irish.
Some of Denver’s celebrants that weekend might well have wished they were somewhere else when the police lights went on and they were pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
And who can blame them? The penalties for a drunk driving conviction can be harsh. A conviction can threaten a person’s career, academic pursuits, ability to drive and their wallet.
The Colorado Department of Transportation recently announced the arrests it made St. Patrick’s Day weekend, with 471 people taken into custody on suspicion of DUI.
The good news is that the number is down a bit from last year’s 481. The bad news is that all those arrested now face the possibility that they will lose their driving privileges — putting jobs and studies in jeopardy — and making it likely that they will have to pay significantly higher auto insurance premiums for the foreseeable future.
During the weekend of March 14 to 18, some 92 law enforcement agencies combined in the search for drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs.
The numbers arrested by individual agencies include the following: the Colorado State Patrol arrested 96 drivers; the Denver Police Department took 45 into custody; the Colorado Springs Police Department arrested 41; and the Aurora Police Department is credited with 28 arrests.
Each driver arrested should contact an attorney experienced in handling these cases, so that legal options can be explored, including dismissals, reductions of charges and other alternatives to harsh sentences.
Source: KDVR, “471 people arrested on DUI charges during St. Patrick’s Day weekend,” March 24, 2014