South Carolina prosecutors have dropped the DUI charges they had filed against the former mayor of Atlantic Beach, SC; sources inform a N York City Criminal Lawyer. The charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. Following her arrest in September 2009, after South Carolina State troopers pulled her over for erratic driving, she was given a breathalyzer test, which was negative. Further, the former mayor was given a urine test, which was tested by the State Law Enforcement Division, also showed that at the time of her arrest she did not have any traces of alcohol, or any legal or illegal drugs in her system. Since all of these tests were returned with negative results, then why was this former mayor arrested?
Both the former mayor and her legal representative, a former law enforcement officer of 20 years, say that the reason she was arrested and charged with DUI is very simple and may be summed up in one word—politics. She has been arrested four times in two years, learned a NYC Criminal Lawyer. The DUI arrest came one day before the former mayor’s scheduled court appearance to face a driving related charge of reckless driving. The reckless driving arrest came one day before another scheduled court appearance for an arrest for trespassing and disorderly conduct. She was arrested again in 2009 for allegedly stopping and failing to report her sideswiping of another vehicle. Some observers of this case say there is a distinct pattern that could substantiate her and her counsel’s suspicions.
In September 2009, the Atlantic Beach City Council voted to remove her from office and immediately petitioned the state governor to remove the embattled mayor from office. Their request was granted two months later when he suspended her from office.
A New York Criminal Attorney also discovered that although the state dropped the DWI charge against the former mayor, they continue to pursue a reckless driving charge on the same incident. This will require testimony from the original witness who allegedly saw the former mayor driving erratically. Regardless of the outcome, both the former mayor and her legal representative are hopeful that politics will be put aside and that justice will prevail.
When someone has been arrested for a crime, the first and most critical step is to hire a New York Criminal Attorney immediately. Because police investigators will often try to confuse or deceive people who have been arrested in order to extract information, it is critical that a New York Criminal Attorney be present during any initial police questioning.
The Office of Stephen Bilkis and Associates can offer you support and guidance as well as a free consultation when you contact us at 1-800-NY-NY-LAW. We have offices in New York City, including Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and The Bronx and in Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County.