A veteran police officer was ordered to turn over his badge after being convicted of DUI in July 2010.
Twelve year veteran officer James Evarts was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday after his Chief, Frank Limon, discovered that he had been convicted of driving under the influence.
Evarts pleaded no contest to the DUI charges in court on Jan. 26 and was sentenced to six months in jail, with execution suspended after 10 days. He must serve an 18 month probation sentence as well as pay a $500 fine.
"It’s disappointing to have to find out from another agency that a member of our department is under the control of the Department of Corrections for an off-duty incident that occurred in another jurisdiction," said Limon in a statement.
Evarts was not reached for commenting.
A DUI is a serious charge, even worse if a police officer is the drunken driver. As seen with Evarts’ case, those found guilty of drinking and driving may have to pay costly fines on top of having their licenses revoked, cars impounded or even going to jail. If you or a loved one have gotten a DUI recently, it’s important to seek the help of a DUI lawyer immediately to have the charges lowered or dropped.
While DUI regulations vary from state to state, no matter where you go, people are often arrested for DUI without just cause. Motorists may be arrested under suspicion of DUI alone and may be afraid to fight it for fear of going to jail or making matters worse. If you believe you have been wrongly charged, speak to a DUI attorney as soon as possible to get started on your case.
Your DUI lawyer will investigate the scene of the incident thoroughly and speak to all witnesses involved to get to the truth of the matter. They will not rest until your charges have been significantly lowered or wiped out altogether.
Hurry, you have less than two weeks after getting a DUI ticket to fight it in court. Speak to an acclaimed DUI attorney near you today for help in fighting for your rights.
