A University of Nevada football player was arrested and charged on the morning of July 28, according to news sources. Law enforcement authorities charged the junior student with drunk driving and driving the wrong way. He has been released from custody, and no court date has been announced. Nevertheless, he has been suspended from the Wolf Pack football team indefinitely.
Details of the player’s arrest have not been made public at this time, but it has been confirmed that he was pulled over and arrested before being booked into the county sheriff’s office around 3:30 a.m. He was charged with DUI above the legal limit, as well as driving the wrong way on a one-way road. It is unclear whether he posted bail or to whom he was released when police let him go.
Police did not make clear how they came to the determination that the man was drunk at the time he was pulled over. Generally speaking, a series of roadside sobriety tests are administered in the event that an officer has reasonable suspicion that a driver is intoxicated. A Breathalyzer test may also be administered. The report did not mention whether this was the case here.
Given the severity of a drunk driving charge and the influence it can have on a young person’s future, the burden of proof that falls on the state of Nevada is particularly heavy in this case. Prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the man was drunk while operating a motor vehicle. If proper steps were not taken at the scene to gather evidence without infringing on the man’s rights, the charge could be reduced or even dropped.
Source: rgj.com, “Pack’s Damanhoury charged with DUI, driving wrong way“, Chris Murray, July 29, 2016