Back in April we mentioned on our Athens, Georgia, DUI defense law blog that former Nickelodeon star Amanda Bynes had been arrested after crashing into a police cruiser. The 26-year-old actress had been suspected of driving drunk, but her father claimed that a Breathalyzer test revealed that his daughter was not drunk at the time of the accident.
Nearly two months after the arrest, prosecutors decided to charge Bynes with one count of misdemeanor DUI. According to court records, Bynes had never agreed to take a breath test or blood test after the car accident on April 6. Because both tests were allegedly refused by the actress, it may be difficult for prosecutors to win this case. However, if Bynes is convicted, she could face a lengthy driver’s license suspension and jail time for driving drunk and refusing to take a breath or blood test.
Many states, including Georgia, will automatically suspend an individual’s driver’s license for up to one year if the individual refuses to submit a breath or blood test after a DUI arrest.
According to reports, the actress had sideswiped a police cruiser in Los Angeles while making a turn. The crash happened around 3 a.m., and Bynes was apparently so upset about the crash that the officer had suspected her of driving drunk, Bynes’ father had stated shortly after the incident.
Last week, the actress did plead not guilty to the DUI charge. She even asked President Barack Obama via Twitter to fire the police officer who had arrested her, claiming that she doesn’t drink.
Instead of seeking help from President Obama, Bynes would probably be better off working with an experienced defense attorney who can help her fight her DUI charge and protect her driving privileges in a strategic and aggressive manner.
Source: Reuters, “Amanda Bynes Pleads for President Obama’s Help in DUI Case,” Andrew Chow, JD, June 8, 2012