Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
Last week, 35-year-old Jeremy Garner, a trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, was fired following a February 16 incident in which he allegedly struck two parked vehicles while heavily intoxicated. Garner was a motorcycle officer and was terminated after an investigation was performed by the patrol for conduct unbecoming an officer, according to a news article at The Columbus Dispatch.
Garner was with fellow troopers at Skully’s Music Diner on the evening in question, and although they attempted to prevent him from driving after noticing that he appeared to be intoxicated, their efforts failed. Garner allegedly struck two parked cars in Short North and was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, failure to control, and drunken driving. His blood alcohol content at the time of the incident was said to be more than three times the legal limit of 0.08% after being measured at 0.27%. Garner’s case is pending; he pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was in his personal vehicle while off-duty when the incident took place.
Garner was convicted of DUI in 2007 in Grove City. He has been a trooper since 2002, according to news reports. On the evening the crash occurred, another trooper who was at the diner offered to give Garner a ride home, however he refused and became hostile with the trooper.
The Ohio State Troopers Associated tried to argue on Garner’s behalf, but the attempt was not successful. The union maintained that Garner has not been convicted of the charges, that he is getting help for alcohol abuse, and that he had no history of misconduct on the job.
Michigan DUI defense attorneys understand how being arrested for driving under the influence can affect a person’s life. While Garner has not yet been convicted, his career has been ruined. If he is convicted, he may face criminal penalties which include possible jail time or DUI school, fines and court costs, driver’s license suspension, and more. Those penalties increase for individuals who are convicted of a second or subsequent DUI offense.
The criminal penalties in Michigan for DUI are also harsh, and include up to 93 days in jail, driver’s license suspension, fines, community service, and more. In Michigan, Garner would have likely been charged with “super drunk,” or a high BAC offense due to his blood alcohol level, which means even harsher penalties. Regardless of your situation, being charged with a drunk driving offense should be taken very seriously, as a conviction can affect your reputation, freedom, career, and even your future as you will have a criminal record. Consult with a highly skilled Michigan DUI lawyer immediately, before you talk to police or anyone else.