VA Beach DUI Case for NFL Great Bruce Smith

Brice Smith pled guilty to one count of DUI in a Virginia Beach courtroom this past week. He was arrested last May after failing field sobriety tests and refusing a breathalyzer. This marks the famed defensive end’s 3rd DUI charge.

While Smith denied drinking on the night of his arrest, he later admitted that he was under the influence according to this Football News Now report. The arrest occurred after he had been drinking wine with friends in Norfolk.

Under the terms of his case he received a $1,000 fine, a one year driver’s license suspension, an alcohol safety class, and a 90 day suspended sentence. A “suspended” jail sentence simply means
that if Smith is rearrested at anytime during his probationary term, the 90 day sentence could be activated and he could be required to spend time in jail.

According to the article from Football News Now, Smith’s first DUI case was dismissed and he was acquitted, or found not guilty, the second time he was arrested for the offense. It seems as if, with his third arrest, Smith’s luck had run out.

Although this wasn’t Smith’s first arrest, the result of his prior DUI cases mean this one was treated as his first. If he had been convicted or pled guilty the last two times, he would have been facing a much more stringent sentence this time around.

For a third offense DUI you are required to serve a minimum of 3 months in jail if convicted.
Also worth noting is the effect his refusal to take a breath test may have had on his case. If you refuse a breath test and are later found to have been under the influence, you will lose your license for one year.

When facing charges of DUI, whether this is your first offense or your fourth, we can help. We understand you want the best results possible and will pull out all the stops to ensure that happens.

From challenging the stop to the breath test results, we will leave no stone unturned when it comes to fighting on your behalf. Contact our lawyers today to discuss the details of your case.

Virginia Beach Cop Charged with DUI, Hit & Run

Civilians aren’t the only ones making reckless decisions over the holidays. A Virginia Beach police officer has been charged with DUI and hit and run after an incident on December 26th.

Officer Stephane Prevot was arrested after hitting a neighbor’s mailbox that evening and was found to be under the influence of alcohol and presumably over the .08% legal limit. The department isn’t saying much at the time of this report, however.

Per regulation, Prevot has been placed on administrative leave pending further decisions. Officer Prevot has been with the department for nearly 5 years, according to the Virginian Pilot.

This is the second Va. Beach officer to face such charges this year. Officer Bryan Womble was charged with hit and run and DUI back in June. In typical fashion, he was sentenced to a short jail stint, license suspension, drug and alcohol awareness classes, and the installation of an ignition interlock device in his vehicle.

Offenses like DUI and Hit and Run apply to everyone. While it may seem like people in power get an easier shake when it comes to the law, many high ranking people charged with crimes like this end up serving a similar sentence as you or I would.

When it comes to a first offense DUI, Virginia law states you can be sentenced to a maximum of 1 year in jail and $2500 in fines. In addition, you face a driver’s license suspension lasting a year and mandatory alcohol safety classes. Depending on the circumstance of your case and your blood alcohol level, you may also be required to use an ignition interlock device when you license is reinstated.

As your DUI convictions add up, so do the penalties. Sentences get progressively worse if you have a criminal history. Knowing what type of penalty you face for your charges can be sobering but also allows you to focus on your case.

If you are facing DUI charges in Virginia, you need the assistance of an experienced local DUI attorney. As your attorney, we can challenge the reason you were stopped, challenge how the police handled your arrest, and even potentially challenge the breath test results.

Contact me today to discuss how we can move forward with your case. You need someone acting in your defense when you go before the judge.