DUIs carry serious penalties, whether you are a celebrity or not

In some celebrity news that crosses over into the criminal defense realm, the daughter of Laurence Fishburne — a well-known actor known for his iconic performance as Morpheus in “The Matrix” — was arrested on DUI charges over the weekend. According to the report, Montana Fishburne blew two breath tests that were significantly over the 0.08 blood alcohol limit.

She was pulled over by a police officer who noted that Montana’s car had an open container of wine in it and a “purple liquid” was spilled on the seat that smelled of alcohol. That led to the breath tests and the ultimate arrest. Montana faces a number of serious penalties as a result of the bevy of DUI charges.

Whether you are a celebrity or just an average citizen trying to be the best they can be, there are times where we may fall to unfortunate depths. Mistakes can happen, and ultimately there are many DUI cases every year that involve good people who made one mistake: they consumed alcohol and then decided to get behind the wheel of a car. They didn’t hurt anyone. They didn’t get into an accident. But they did operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol level that exceeds state limits.

No matter the reasoning, “the system” isn’t going to take pity on you, and you shouldn’t take pity on it. If you are accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, then you need an attorney to defend your rights and advance your case.

Source: The Mercury News, “Laurence Fishburne’s wayward daughter arrested for DUI in Florida,” Martha Ross, March 14, 2017