My problem (DUI arrests)
#11
Its a sad commentary on how employment is affected when you have to report arrests vs convictions. From what I understand from this thread even if you are proven innocent through the courts, or you have the charges dropped, you'll still be in doo-doo and potentially barred from many types of employment. Arrests do not specifically mean that you did anything wrong. That's for a judge or jury to decide, and they are not foolproof either. Its fortunate I've not had a problem like this. Can anyone illustrate what will or will not happen when you report an arrest (but no conviction, plea bargain, etc.) on a medical or airline application?
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2009
Position: Courtroom
Posts: 177
Couple questions....
1. When was your first DUI arrest? (Did you already have a medical at the time?)
2. If you get a certified copy of your driving history from the state which you were holding a license during your first arrest, does the first (arrest's) administrative suspension show? (Would say chemical test failure or chemical test refusal. I ask because a good attorney would be able to have that removed from your driving history had the DUI/OVI/DWI been dismissed.
3. When was your most recent arrest? If you refused a chemical test, your license would have been suspended almost immediately.
My Quals: part 121 pilot, current practicing attorney, state of indiana. Part-time (reserve) police officer, prior full-time for a large city.
1. When was your first DUI arrest? (Did you already have a medical at the time?)
2. If you get a certified copy of your driving history from the state which you were holding a license during your first arrest, does the first (arrest's) administrative suspension show? (Would say chemical test failure or chemical test refusal. I ask because a good attorney would be able to have that removed from your driving history had the DUI/OVI/DWI been dismissed.
3. When was your most recent arrest? If you refused a chemical test, your license would have been suspended almost immediately.
My Quals: part 121 pilot, current practicing attorney, state of indiana. Part-time (reserve) police officer, prior full-time for a large city.
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2009
Position: Courtroom
Posts: 177
Its a sad commentary on how employment is affected when you have to report arrests vs convictions. From what I understand from this thread even if you are proven innocent through the courts, or you have the charges dropped, you'll still be in doo-doo and potentially barred from many types of employment. Arrests do not specifically mean that you did anything wrong. That's for a judge or jury to decide, and they are not foolproof either. Its fortunate I've not had a problem like this. Can anyone illustrate what will or will not happen when you report an arrest (but no conviction, plea bargain, etc.) on a medical or airline application?
The FAA medical asks about convictions and DUI/OVI/DWI administrative events.
An administrative event on a license occurs when a person fails a chemical test or refuses a chemical test. (30-360 day automatic license suspension depending on the state. This occurs even before a person is found guilty/not guilty etc)
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2013
Posts: 834
Its a sad commentary on how employment is affected when you have to report arrests vs convictions. From what I understand from this thread even if you are proven innocent through the courts, or you have the charges dropped, you'll still be in doo-doo and potentially barred from many types of employment. Arrests do not specifically mean that you did anything wrong. That's for a judge or jury to decide, and they are not foolproof either. Its fortunate I've not had a problem like this. Can anyone illustrate what will or will not happen when you report an arrest (but no conviction, plea bargain, etc.) on a medical or airline application?
Last edited by Yoda2; 04-17-2013 at 02:04 PM. Reason: Additional
#15
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Jul 2012
Posts: 24
#16
Yoda, Citation, and other experts, what's your best wisdom on refusing to blow for a routine DUI stop? I had have heard pro and con along these lines-
Con (you should never blow at the traffic stop)
• You are within your legal rights to refuse your breath being personal property in a legal sense, breathalyzing is poor (junk) science, and the latter I tend to believe based on my own experiments with one certified breathalyzer
• They say only direct blood samples can show accurately what you have in your blood, and it is better to not supply the prosecutor breathalyzer data which also may be tampered by unscrupulous personnel.
Pro says
• You are likely to be assumed guilty and parked for a long time if you refuse a test, so just give it to them.
Thoughts?
Con (you should never blow at the traffic stop)
• You are within your legal rights to refuse your breath being personal property in a legal sense, breathalyzing is poor (junk) science, and the latter I tend to believe based on my own experiments with one certified breathalyzer
• They say only direct blood samples can show accurately what you have in your blood, and it is better to not supply the prosecutor breathalyzer data which also may be tampered by unscrupulous personnel.
Pro says
• You are likely to be assumed guilty and parked for a long time if you refuse a test, so just give it to them.
Thoughts?
#18
Yoda2; Thanks for the feedback - quite well explained and I can see the FAA's rationale. I am still thinking (wishing?) a conviction is the deciding element, while an arrest doesn't prove anything - but I am obviously an old school-out-to-pasture-traditionalist.
#19
#20
I love a drink - vodka being my choice.
Love to have some beers on game day or during a backyard BBQ.
But if I'm going to be out on the road driving, or during a trip for the job, I prefer to take the safest route possible which is for me to not drink.
I know, right or wrong, that I don't even have to necessarily do anything wrong, and I could find myself in more trouble than it is worth - defending myself or HOPING that I calculated my number of drinks per hour correctly. My job, my security, and my future are more important than that drink.
In all of this - we are also talking about the OP who has two incidents that he is hoping a lawyer is going to be able to clean up his record.
If a person is responsible about their drinking then I hope they can have a good time, but the cards are getting stacked against that 'responsible effort' more and more everyday it seems.
Plus - you asked the question - I gave you MY plan.
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