Duluth, MN- A Minnesota woman is facing felony DUI charges after her erratic driving caught the attention of police who soon discovered she had Jell-O shots in her pockets.
Cathy Sanchez, a 28 year-old mother of three, was pulled over just after 1 a.m. on Saturday, June 1st, after a police officer in Glyndon noticed she was speeding and “swerving across the road,” the Smoking Gun reported. Upon pulling Sanchez over, the arresting officer noticed the tell-tale signs of intoxication–blood-shot eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol emanating from her vehicle.
Not only was she allegedly drunk, but Sanchez also had three alcoholic Jell-O shots in her pockets according to the police report obtained by the Smoking Gun.
Sanchez, who registered a .136 on a breathalyzer test, initially gave police a false name and later admitted that she has been busted for drinking and driving five times. Further investigation showed that Sanchez has three previous DWI convictions in addition to a concealed weapons charge.
Because of her previous DWI convictions and her current arrests she was deemed a threat to public safety and her license was revoked.
Sanchez is facing four counts which include two counts of driving while impaired—both felony charges punishable by seven years in jail for each conviction. She was also charged with giving false information to police and driving with suspended license.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for June 28th, the Smoking Gun reported.
A large majority of people have made the mistake of driving under the influence at one point in time. Some people do it over and over again before they are caught. A person may get away with drunken or drugged driving many times, but eventually they will get caught and when they do they will soon learn how much a DUI charge will impact their lives.
Even when a person convicted of DUI/DWI charge manages to avoid jail, they face other consequences that will affect have a negative effect on their lives. License suspension is almost inevitable and like Sanchez some convicted DUI/DWI offenders can have their license revoked. Such a conviction can keep a person from getting a professional license or getting an education. DWIs are also quite costly with offenders shelling out several thousand in penalties, fines and other out-of-pocket costs associated with the charge such as installing an ignition interlock device in their vehicle and an alcohol assessment course.
A drunken driving charge should be taken as seriously as it is and the person charged should retain a Minnesota DWI attorney to build their defense. An effective defense will allow an alleged offender to avert conviction or at least have their charges reduced so their life is not adversely affected in the long run.
A Duluth DUI attorney will look at the details of their client’s arrest and determine the best way to approach their DWI charges. They will know whether a plea bargain is best or if their client will fare better going to court and help them decide which option is their best chance of lessening the impact of their DWI arrest.
