A 28-year-old resident of the Brookline neighborhood in Pittsburgh has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. A police officer reportedly pulled the man over around 2:35 in the morning on Jan. 15. The officer claimed the young man was driving erratically through Baldwin Township. Such statements are typical in police reports, as is the officer's claim that the driver's vehicle smelled of alcohol.

It was said that the driver was subjected to field-sobriety tests, though what kind or where the tests were administered (on rough terrain or concrete) was not indicated in a local news story. In any case, the officer reported that the man failed the field-sobriety tests. He was then arrested for DUI and taken to the hospital for a blood-alcohol test, which was still pending more than a week after the young man was arrested. He has since been released from jail.

It's no secret that the circumstances of an arrest can result in charges against a person being reduced or even dismissed. However, the consequences of being convicted of a DUI can be serious. For example, someone who is convicted of drunk driving could be subject to monetary fines, jail time, driver's license suspension or revocation, as well as orders to attend drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs.

The issuance of specific penalties depends on numerous factors.

However, with the right defense, there may be alternatives to the above-stated consequences. The appropriate negotiation skills could lead to less severe alternatives and, in cases concerning jail time, reduced sentences.

If jail time is a potential consequence, a strategic criminal defense may be able to eliminate jail time and substitute it with one of the following consequences:

•· House arrest with a monitoring anklet or bracelet

•· Rehabilitation programs for first-time DUI convictions

•· Alternate housing

In addition, given the right circumstances, the appropriate negotiation tactics may even lead to the dismissal of the DUI charges.

Source: Dormont-Brookline Patch, "Brookline Man Charged with DUI in Baldwin Township," Robert Edward Healy, III, Jan. 28, 2012