In North Carolina and across the country, St. Patrick's Day weekend is traditionally celebrated by the Irish and the Irish at heart by tipping back a few pints and having some good whiskey. During this holiday, it can be easy for just about anyone to get behind the wheel after having one too many.
Over St. Patrick's Day weekend, North Carolina law enforcement officers were out in force specifically targeting drunk driving. If you are facing driving while impaired charges after being arrested in the St. Patrick's Day crackdown, you could be in need of a legal defense.
Two checkpoints in Charlotte net 23 DWI arrests in early days of St. Patrick's initiative
The 2014 St. Patrick's Day Booze It and Lose It campaign ran from March 14 through March 17. A joint effort put on by the Governor's Highway Safety Program and the North Carolina Department of transportation, the enforcement initiative targeted impaired drivers with sobriety checkpoints and increased state trooper patrols.
In last year's St. Patrick's weekend Booze It and Lose It campaign, 690 North Carolina drivers were cited for DWI throughout the state. As the St. Patrick's Day initiative got underway in the early morning hours of March 14, police in Charlotte set up a sobriety checkpoint on Park Road in the 2300 block. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department issued a news release saying that 12 individuals were arrested for DWI before the checkpoint closed down at 3 a.m. A number of arrests were also made at the checkpoint for other offenses, including two for felony drug charges.
Another checkpoint ran from 11:00 p.m. on March 14 to 3:00 a.m. on March 15 on Wilkinson Boulevard in the 5600 block. This checkpoint resulted in charges for 55 Charlotte drivers, including 11 DWI charges, four DWI under 21 charges, eight citations for revoked licenses, a pair of felony drug charges and four misdemeanor drug charges. A total of 27 officers from a number of different law enforcement organizations were present at the checkpoint.
These are just two examples of the DWI enforcement efforts being made in Charlotte as part of the North Carolina St. Patrick's Day Booze It and Lose It campaign. Arrest totals for the entire campaign will not be compiled for some time, but it is likely that hundreds of DWI charges will stem from the four day enforcement effort.
Charged with DWI or another criminal offense? Contact a Charlotte defense lawyer
If you are among those facing charges as the result of the recent North Carolina Booze It and Lose it campaign, you may be in need of legal assistance. A North Carolina DWI defense attorney can help you get evidence collected in violation of your rights thrown out, and may be able to get charges dropped or secure you a reduced sentence. If you have been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or some other criminal offense, get in touch with an attorney today and stage a strong legal defense.
