The Jacksonville Mayor’s Spokesman, Abel Harding, was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) on Saturday night. A police officer stopped him for speeding. Thereafter, he suspected that Harding was under the influence of alcohol. The police report stated that he had a strong alcoholic odor and performed poorly on the field sobriety test (News4jax).
As a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer, I would like to see the other evidence in the case before making a determination. He was only driving 11 mph over the speed limit (55 mph in a 60 mph zone) when he was stopped; he was not driving erratically. An odor of alcohol can be attributed to one or ten beers, so this alone is insufficient. Additionally, field sobriety tests are not easy to perform, so I would like to see if a video exists in order to make my own decision.
If you have questions about a Jacksonville DUI arrest, contact a Jacksonville Criminal Defense Lawyer to review your case and to protect your rights.