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Double DUI? Drunk Driving Dad Arrested Twice in a Day

By George Khoury, Esq. on November 30, 2016 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Shockingly, a Massachusetts man, Steven Byrnes, was recently arrested twice in the same day for drunk driving. He was initially arrested for drunk driving while trying to pick up his 10-year-old son from school in the afternoon, which happened after arguing with officers who claimed to smell alcohol on him. Clearly, Byrnes made a bad decision. But then, after somehow being released from custody just a few hours later, he was arrested again for drunk driving. Byrnes's case is proof positive that alcohol affects a person's judgment.

The thing that makes his second arrest even more astounding is the fact that his 20-year-old son actually called police to warn them that his dad was driving drunk again. Not shockingly, Brynes, who is 52, is no stranger to DUI charges, and he has been convicted on eight prior occasions. Knowing his history, it is somewhat alarming he was not held in custody for a longer period of time.

Child Endangerment Charges?

While Byrnes may have some experience with handling DUI charges, there may be potential for the first DUI he was charged with to be more than simply a DUI. Because Byrnes was picking up his child, if he is convicted of DUI, he could very well be facing charges for some form of child endangerment.

Fortunately for Byrnes, the report indicates that he was arrested prior to actually picking up his child from school. However, there may still be other consequence he may face as a direct result attempting to pick up his child while intoxicated.

Are Repeat Offenses in the Same Day Charged Separately?

Unfortunately for Byrnes, he may be going directly from eight DUI convictions to 10 DUI convictions as a result of the double DUI arrest. Each offense is considered a separate chargeable crime. Also, Byrnes may face additional consequences as a result of the repeat offenses. For instance, he is likely to be considered a habitual offender after this if any of the eight priors were recent.

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