Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

My sister recently got into a less than $5.00 private property accident. She was out with a friend and had one drink at a resturaunt and had the receipt to prove it. They guy she tapped in the drive thru at the Mc'Ds call the police. They put her through the DUI test while being recorded from a car camera. My concern is the 1) handcuffed her and took her to jail but did not read her rights, 2) never told her she was under arrest, 3) no breathalizer offered while at the jail. Also is the dui code the same for private property? She never refused any test and the PBT was not offered after the field sobriety test. Any advice?


Asked on 8/27/17, 4:26 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Jonathon Moseley Jonathon A. Moseley

I don't understand this question. Was she charged with DWI or not? It is possible that they put her through the roadside tests but decided that she passed and did not charge her.

When you ask is the DUI code the same for private property this sounds like she was not charged with DUI as a crime. Is that right?

Was she charged criminally with damaging property? If so, it would not matter if she had a drink. The charge would require either reckless or intentional damage

What do you mean by private property? That sounds like you are referring to a private civil lawsuit -- not criminal -- for damage to private property. Is that the situation?

If she is accused -- in a civil lawsuit -- of causing damage to private property it would require that she was either negligent or acting intentionally to intentionally destroy property. It would not really be relevant whether she had been drinking or not unless it was part of the explanation for how she was "negligent." But one can be negligent while sober and careful while drunk. The test would be whether she actually DID something while driving that a reasonably prudent person paying attention would not have done or failed to do what a prudent driver would do.

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Answered on 8/27/17, 4:34 pm


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