Originally Posted by
anima
My son just started in a Flight Sciences degree at a US university. He has wanted to be an airline pilot since he was 4, it's all he has ever talked about.
2 weeks before he went off to go to college, he was arrested for DUI. His BAC was 0.054, legal still for an adult but not a minor (anything over 0.02), they also charged him with Minor in Possession.
We have a lawyer and it is working its way through the system, they recently suspended his auto licence for 30 days and he will have to have an interlock on his car for the next year. The DUI stuff is still pending. We intend to fight the DUI, the MIP he absolutely deserves.
So my question is.... what are his prospects now? Is this a career killer before he even graduates?
How will this affect his license? (not to mention his scholarship) if we can't clear the DUI. Could he get on with a major airline? Should we also get an aviation lawyer?
I really feel bad for him, we were all 18 once, back in my day the cops would have just poured the booze out and marched us home for my dad to deal with. I can't believe his dream could be over already.
Thanks,
Jeff
Welcome to law enforcement 21st century, in the age of car cameras, increased citizen oversight, etc, officer discretion is much reduced now. Had they poured the booze out, taken him home, and the next day, he did it again but this time crashed his car and killed a kid who was walking down the street eating an ice cream cone, Officer Jones who "did the right thing" now is being sued by the dead kid's family (as arresting your son could have served as a mechanism to detour the train he was on...) and possibly fired by the Chief for "poor judgement". Also getting sued is the department, and the city. Etc.
1. Any arrest and criminal conviction at age 18 or older is an "adult" and can be negative towards a professional pilot career. Military academy / Embry Riddle grads, with masters degrees, and multi-thousand hours of heavy jet time, and no criminal history, are not getting called to interviews yet. How do you think a guy with a DUI on his record.
2. If this is first arrest/first offense, you/your lawyer talk to the judge, in almost every case, a first time, DUI, with NO other criminal history, will be reduced to a charge of reckless driving or similar (depending on local/state laws) charge. Ideally, the charge gets dropped/reduced to a NON-TRAFFIC violation. FAA, Airline HR, etc are tuned into the driver's registry and any traffic related offense is a red flag. Joke, but for the purposes of airline records checks/FAA, an arrest for organized crime is more desirable than a DUI.
3. AVOID A DUI CONVICTION at all costs. Pay a fine, volunteer (even if judge does not mention it) for community service, mow the grass at the courthouse, ANYTHING.
You need a DUI attorney on this, not the guy who handles Grandma's estate paperwork.
4. Be careful of attorney's who "we will show
them" and "screw the judge, we have this in the bag" type attitude. Most successful legal / judicial transactions are the result of mature adults negotiating amongst themselves
Listen to your lawyer, not me, or APC. Good Luck