A man in Oxon Hill, Maryland, was recently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The irony is that the man is the Prince George’s County liquor commission chairman.
According to reports, the man had gone to the MGM National Harbor. That’s the new casino that was just finished, and the facility was having a grand opening celebration. It made sense for the man to attend, which he did. He then left after allegedly having too much to drink.
Police weren’t just camping out by the celebration and waiting for him, though. The 72-year-old man crashed while attempting to leave the complex. Police then responded to the accident, and they said that the man smelled like alcohol. They asked him to take a breath test at the scene, and he refused to do it. They did get him to do a field sobriety test, but they claim he failed that test.
As a result, they arrested him, held him for a few hours, and released him. The crash was not major, with no reported injuries at all.
As this case shows, the police don’t necessarily need a breath test or anything else so scientific to make an arrest. Simply smelling alcohol can be enough for them to ask a driver to do a field sobriety test, and failing that test can lead to an arrest.
Of course, there was also an accident in this specific case, but it’s important to note that there are many legal ways for the police to make an arrest, even if you refuse some of the tests. After this happens, you do need to know your legal rights moving forward.
Source: CBS Baltimore, “Liquor Chairman Charged With DUI Outside New Maryland Casino,” Dec. 09, 2016
