Grand Forks golf enthusiasts may be interested in an incident that led to a drunk driving charge for one man who took his vehicle for an afternoon spin on a country club course in Fargo on Sept. 7. According to media sources, the 30-year-old man has now been charged with DUI three times within the past seven years. Sources say that no injuries were reported during the most recent incident.
Sources also indicate that the 30-year-old man apparently mistook the cart paths leading to the swimming pool and clubhouse as roadways when he drove his car onto the course at the Fargo Country Club. According to a local TV station, the allegedly intoxicated driver even pulled over to give passing golf carts the right of way before leaving the property. Authorities later took the man into custody. No additional information regarding the incident was available at press time.
Any drunk driving conviction in North Dakota can carry serious consequences. A single DUI can potentially lead to higher car insurance rates, stiff fines, suspension or loss of driving privileges and jail time. Possible penalties become even more severe upon subsequent offenses. In this case, penalties for a third DUI offense within a seven-year period could include one year of supervised probation as well as one year of participation in the state’s 24/7 sobriety program.
However, a conviction is never a foregone conclusion, and it may be possible to successfully challenge a DUI charge through legal channels. An attorney could examine the prosecution’s case for weaknesses and possibly identify issues with field sobriety tests, blood tests or adherence to protocols during their administration. Defective testing equipment or procedural mistakes made by law enforcement officials could result in a beneficial outcome for the charged man.
Source: NDDOT, ‘Penalties for driving drunk”
Source: GNN, “Video: Fargo man charged with DUI after driving onto country club“, September 10, 2014
