A busy Virginia DUI attorney can tell you that the statistics surrounding subsequent DUI convictions for prior offenders are sobering. Nearly six out of ten people convicted of DUI have a prior conviction on their record, and a recent hit-and-run DUI case in Henrico County appears to bear this out.
Meta Darlene Hall, 48, will be tried in September on charges related to a May 19th incident during which she allegedly struck a construction worker in a work zone on I-95. Hall is said to have fled the scene and later stated that she believed she had struck a cone with her car.
Hall was present at a preliminary hearing at Henrico General District Court on June 21st, at which the construction worker, 27-year-old Brian Fitzgerald, described the effects the incident has had on his life. Fitzgerald said he was "in shock" and had "passed out" after Hall allegedly struck him with her vehicle, and that he suffered a wrist injury that may be permanent. The worker remains in a cast more than a month after the incident, and he told the court that he will soon undergo a second operation on his wrist. A second witness, Dwayne Sampson, reported being "stunned" when Hall reportedly left the scene after pausing momentarily when Fitzgerald was hit. Sampson stated in court that he then called 911 and followed Hall for approximately eight miles to ensure police were able to locate her.
After the preliminary hearing, Hall's Virginia DUI lawyer said that the defendant is "the face of alcoholism" and that she requires "treatment for this terrible disease." Hall's attorney also described her client's interrupted sobriety as she fell on hard times after battling alcoholism for a period, stating:
"She lost her job, a relationship she had ended, and that night her hopes to meet another man ended when he didn't show up for a meeting."
Judge Archer Yeatts III agreed to certify a felony hit-and-run charge to a grand jury, setting a tentative trial date for September 2nd. Deputy Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Huberman indicated that a maiming charge may also be sought due to Fitzgerald's injuries, and that alcohol-related charges are pending due to a delay in receiving test results. Court records indicate that Hall had been convicted for a third DUI in 2005, but managed to restore her license in April of 2010. Cases such as Hall's require a Virginia DUI lawyer to ensure the defendant's rights are protected and all information beneficial to the defendant is presented to the court.
This article is presented by The Law Offices of Price Benowitz, LLP, representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Maryland DUI Attorneys and Washington DC DUI Lawyers websites.
