As indicated in the article below, the woman arrested refused to submit to the alcohol breath test and she was arrested for DUI. She argues that she was not drinking at the time and is only guilty of speeding and was taking medication to treat high blood pressure and also had a sprained ankle at the time she was arrested.
If you have been arrested for DUI in Alabama, visit our website for more information – www.Alabama-DUI-Defense.com so that we can evaluate your case and can begin the process of helping you. Call us today at (866) 348-2889 to discuss your situation, your life and how we can help you and provide hope during a very difficult time. We look forward to hearing from you soon and helping your through this difficult time.
MOBILE, Alabama — A candidate for the state school board was arrested last summer on Dauphin Island, charged with speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol. Jessica Sue James, 35, said she was on blood-pressure medication, so she declined to take a breath test to determine what her blood-alcohol level was. As a result, she said her drivers license was suspended for three months. She has pleaded not guilty to the DUI charge. James said she was driving from Mobile to Dauphin Island on July 8, with her vehicle’s cruise control set to 60 miles per hour. At about 10:30 p.m., as she was going over the Gordon Persons Bridge, she approached a line of cars that was going slow, about 35 or 40 miles per hour, she said. So, she passed them. Turns out, the first car was a police officer, who pulled James over for speeding. James said she was not drinking that night. She said she did not know how fast she was driving. The speed limit on the bridge is 55 miles per hour, according to police.
“I was taking blood-pressure medicine at the time, and I had a sprained right ankle,” she said. “I refused the test, so that’s why he gave me the DUI.” She said she didn’t know how the medication would affect the test. She said she showed the police officer her prescription. He searched her car, but didn’t find anything else. The whole thing, she said, “was absolutely ridiculous. It was almost like he had a speed trap set.”
Dauphin Island Police Sgt. Anthony La Frenier, who was not the arresting officer that night, said he could not say much about the case because it has not gone to trial. He said the trial is set for next week.
LaFrenier, an officer for 12 years, would not confirm whether James refused to take the breath test.
When told that she admittedly refused the test because of medicine she was on for high blood pressure, he said: “I’ve never heard of anything but alcohol triggering a blood alcohol breath test reading.”
James said she was driving to her parents’ house on the island. Instead, she was arrested and booked into Mobile County Metro Jail at about 2 a.m. July 9. She was released six hours later on a $1,200 bond, according to jail records. Her license has since been reinstated.
James, a Republican, is running for the state’s District 1 school board seat currently occupied by Randy McKinney, who is not seeking re-election. She faces Republican Tracy Roberts in the March 13 primary.
Roberts said today that she was surprised to hear of the incident when a Press-Register reporter asked her about it. “If it’s true,” she said, “it’s very disappointing.” The district now includes Mobile, Baldwin, Escambia, Butler, Conecuh, Covington and Crenshaw counties. A native of Washington County, James is a contractor in work force development at Bishop State Community College. She formerly worked under Gov. Bob Riley as a coordinator for the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. James said she does not think this incident should affect how people vote in the school board race. ”I was speeding. I passed those eight cars,” she said. “People get pulled over for speeding every day.”
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There is no question that Alabama DUI offenses are very serious offenses with very serious and far-reaching consequences. You need to hire a law firm that has the experience and the knowledge and the training that can help you get the best result possible on your DUI case. We can help you and want to do so – please call us today at (866) 348-2889 to discuss your case. Hire a DUI Attorney for your case that is Certified per NHTSA guidelines in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and a member of the National College for DUI Defense. Visit our website for more information – www.Alabama-DUI-Defense.com .
As indicated below in the references article, it has been alleged that Al Unser, Jr.’s blood alcohol content at the time of his arrest was twice the legal limit (or .16 in Alabama). Alabama recently passed an amendment to the DUI statute (32-5a-191) that went is in full force currently. Otherwise known as the Aggravated DUI (Double Punishment) Bill – SB67 – Act 2011-621.
