University of Georgia athletic director Damon Evans, who is one of the youngest athletic directors in the nation, was arrested and charged for driving under the influence of alcohol.
A Georgia State Patrol trooper stopped Damon Evans while he was driving a 2009 BMW, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports.
The trooper detected an odor of alcohol and gave Evans a field sobriety test, but he later refused to take a breathalyzer test.
In general, when a law enforcement officer makes a vehicle stop and suspects that the driver may be intoxicated, the officer will conduct a "field sobriety" test on the driver, and may ask for his or her consent to some form of chemical test for intoxication.
Field sobriety tests usually involve a police officer asking a driver to perform a number of tasks that assess any impairment of the person's physical or cognitive ability.
Examples of field sobriety tests include having the driver walk a straight line, heel to toe; having he or she recite the alphabet backwards; and the officer's use of the "horizontal gaze nystagmus" (eye and penlight) test.
Chemical tests can be conducted during the vehicle stop, using a Breathalyzer that measures a driver's blood-alcohol concentration (BAC), or at a hospital, where urine and blood tests can be performed. Many states allow a driver suspected of DUI to choose which type of chemical test is administered.
Athletic Director Damon Evans is expected to address the DUI charge. As a result he may receive disciplinary action for a variety of offenses including bringing "discredit to the University".
Related Resources:
- Georgia AD Evans arrested for DUI (ESPN)
- Drunk Driving: Elements of the Offense (FindLaw)
- Field Sobriety Tests and Sobriety Checkpoints (FindLaw)
- Reliability of Breath Tests in Drunk Driving Cases (provided by Law Offices of Troy G. Broussard, J.D.)
- DUI FAQs (provided by The Law Offices of Basil D. Beck III)