The Utah woman behind the wheel of a car told an officer that she was waiting for someone when he approached her vehicle. According to the officer, the vehicle was sitting in a convenience store parking lot when he drove by the first time. Since it was still there the second time he drove by, he decided to see if he could help the occupants. By the time his discussion with the woman was over, she was under arrest and facing a DUI charge, two counts of child endangerment and other offenses.
The sergeant, who is with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, said that he felt the need to help the individuals in the vehicle because it was “old” and had expired tags. He noticed two young children in the vehicle, along with what he assumed was methamphetamine and syringes. The officer noted that the alleged drugs and drug paraphernalia were within easy reach of the two children.
He went on to claim that the woman exhibited signs of being on drugs, so field sobriety tests were administered. It was then that the sergeant took the mother into custody. Before charges are officially filed, prosecutors will review the case, including the officer’s suspicions about the driver and the supposed drugs.
Even when facing potentially overwhelming evidence, anyone charged with DUI — or any other crime for that matter — is fully protected by the presumption of innocence until and unless proved guilty in a court of law. As would be the case in any criminal matter, this woman retains the right to counsel and to challenge the evidence against her. Any potential weaknesses in the prosecution’s case could result in a reduction or dismissal of the charges.
Source: fox13now.com, “Utah mom booked for DUI, child endangerment after police find meth in car near kids“, Mark Green, Feb. 9, 2017
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