Singer Aaron Carter may be known best for his song “I Want Candy” by some or as the younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter by others. Carter was arrested on July 15 in Georgia on suspicion of DUI as well as drug possession. His girlfriend, who was with him, was also taken into custody.
The two were arrested by sheriff’s deputies at an AutoZone store in Habersham County. According to an officer with the sheriff’s department, a motorist called 911 because Carter was allegedly “driving all over the road and driving into the median” before entering the store’s parking lot. The couple was arrested inside the store.
The 29-year-old Carter, who gained fame as a child, was reportedly on tour when the arrest occurred. In a statement released after the incident, Carter claims that the police wouldn’t let him talk with an attorney and that the officers arrested him “with aggression.”
In a television interview following the arrest, Carter blamed his erratic driving on a bad alternator in his “very cheap car” that he bought to travel between performance venues. He denied that he had been drinking and says that he can’t drink alcohol because of medication he’s taking.
He did admit to using marijuana some nine hours before and to having it in his car, but that he has a prescription for medical marijuana in order to combat anxiety and to help his appetite. According to the officer who spoke about the incident, “green, leafy type” of marijuana that Carter had isn’t legal for medical purposes in Georgia.
Carter has had a number of struggles in the years since many people who may not have followed his music career watched him compete in 2009 on Dancing with the Stars. He entered rehab in 2011 for Xanax dependency. He was hospitalized, reportedly due to exhaustion, this June.
It was not reported whether Carter was given a Breathalyzer or any other type of field sobriety tests prior to his arrest or whether authorities took blood to determine how much alcohol and/or drugs were in his system.
You don’t have to be behind the wheel to be arrested for DUI if officers have reason to believe that you were driving while under the influence. Further, even if you’re authorized to use medical marijuana, it’s essential to know how it’s treated under Georgia law.
Source: The Los Angeles Times, “Aaron Carter, arrested on suspicion of DUI, slams brother Nick Carter for supportive tweet,” Christie D’Zurilla, July 17, 2017