Tori Vance, Former Miss Arizona Teen USA, Pleads Not Guilty to Drunk Driving

Tori Vance, 18, who was the Miss Arizona Teen USA winner in 2010, pleaded not guilty to DUI in court this week.

Last month, LA police pulled Vance over after she made an illegal U-turn in Hollywood, TMZ reported. The officers believed she was intoxicated and asked her to get out of her car and participate in a field sobriety tests.

According to the police reports, Vance failed those sobriety tests and was taken into custody. Her blood alcohol level was .08, California’s legal limit.

She was charged with two counts of DUI. These charges have a penalty of up to six months in jail and, as an underage driver, she could lose her license for a year.

It’s likely that Vance is going to have her DUI attorney negotiate a plea deal with prosecutors, a common strategy in drunk driving cases.

In a statement shortly after her arrest, Vance said, “I’m truly sorry as my conduct was wrong and not a reflection of who I really am.”

Sometimes a person gets behind the wheel not realizing how drunk they are, it takes only a small number of drinks to affect a person’s ability to react in dangerous situations. This mistake can have serious consequences, but a DUI lawyer, capable of building a rock-solid defense can prevent a conviction.

It is important that DUI offenders have someone to speak for them in court. A DUI attorney will be by their side for every step of the process and increase their chances for beating or reducing the charges against them.