A South Carolina woman and mayor of her community recently had been publicly embarrassed due to the release of a police video concerning her arrest for a DUI. She had been pulled over for alleged erratic driving and then was administered a series of field sobriety tests.

During the arrest, police requested that she provide a urine sample. The woman stated that she would only provide such a sample if she was allowed to keep half of it as she wanted a sample of the urine tested independently. When told that this was not possible, the woman then refused to provide the urine sample.

The woman has since asserted that she was on her way to church when she was pulled over, and stated that she did not drink. Whether this is or is not true has yet to be ascertained. It does appear that this same woman was previously arrested for a DUI, but charges in that earlier matter were dropped.

Police stated that her eyes did appear glassy while the field sobriety tests were conducted, and police reported that she did have in her purse bottles of Flexiril, Toradol and Percocet. The woman also did make a number of statements to the press concerning Horey County attempts to allegedly persecute her.

Though context is everything and we have no way of knowing whether what this woman said was or was not true, it's usually in the best interest of an individual pulled over for a DUI to first speak to an attorney before making statements to the police or to the press. Attorneys experienced in representing individuals arrested for DUI and other drinking related offenses can advise clients as to their options and also inform the client as to when and when not is a good time to speak.

Source: WYFF4.com, "Police Release Dashcam Video After SC Mayor Arrest," Jan. 10, 2012