For many people, there is a great deal of comfort in the knowledge that their parents will always be willing to help them if they need assistance. This help could come in the form of a monetary gift or emotional support. Unfortunately for one mother in Illinois, her attempt to help her son ended with both of them facing a DUI charge.
The incident began in the early morning hours of a day in the beginning of March. A 20-year-old male allegedly became stuck in a snowdrift as he was driving his sedan. As a result, he contacted his mother, whose residence was nearby, for assistance. She arrived soon afterward in a van.
Police also came to the scene, responding to reports that a car was stuck. Police at that time claim that both the man and his mother were driving under the influence of alcohol. It is unclear at this time how this was determined or what their blood alcohol level was at the time. Both now face charges related to DUI and additional driving-related charges.
While most people in this country know that a person is considered innocent until proven otherwise, some alleged crimes, such as those resulting in a DUI charge, carry such a stigma that many people forget this basic right in their fervor to condemn such behavior. Illinois prosecutors will have to provide enough evidence to prove that this pair was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in order to obtain a conviction. The prosecution’s failure to do so must result in a not guilty judgment.
Source: CBS Chicago, Mother And Son Arrested For Drunk Driving, No author, March 18, 2014