Drinking is a social activity that often happens outside of a person's home. Whether at a local Sheboygan party, celebrating out at a bar or just out for dinner with friends, alcohol consumption can sometimes cause people to do things that they normally would not do. The effects of alcohol also do not discriminate and almost anyone can suffer an unfortunate situation while under its influence.
The highly popular actress Reese Witherspoon was recently arrested for disorderly conduct while her husband was arrested for DUI. Due to Ms. Witherspoon's notoriety and generally clean public image a lot media attention has focused on her behavior during the Atlanta police officers' involvement with the couple. In addition to reports associated with their arrests, the entire engagement with the officers was captured on the police car's dashboard video camera.
Ms. Witherspoon's conduct during the arrest provides an excellent example of what a person should not do when either being personally arrested for drunk driving or being a passenger in a vehicle driven by a suspected drunk driver. During her husband's DUI arrest, she engaged with an officer, ignored the officer's requests for her to remain in her vehicle, disregarded the officer's warnings and even lied that she was pregnant. A transcript of the video highlights the opportunities that the officer gave her to avoid her own arrest.
Though her celebrity status makes her easy fodder for news outlets, anyone can learn from Ms. Witherspoon's actions. If a person has been stopped and is suspected of DUI, being honest and respectful to the police officer can keep a bad situation from becoming worse. Drunk driving charges can carry serious penalties, though cooperating with law enforcement sometimes can go a long way in resolving the situation.
Source: WXOW News, "Witherspoon pleads no contest, fined after arrest," Jeff Martin, May 3, 2012