Readers of this blog may recall many posts where an alleged traffic violation alerted authorities to someone driving while intoxicated. Observable behavior, such as erratic driving or the commission of traffic offense, may satisfy the probable cause element needed by police to pull over a driver. Today’s story begins with that common scenario.
Texas A&M University police recently arrested Kendall Sanders, a freshman and promising football receiver for the University of Texas, on a DWI charge. A police spokesperson stated that the authorities initially stopped Sanders for a traffic violation in the early morning hours of a Saturday. That initial interview ultimately resulted in the DWI arrest around 2:40 a.m. About five hours later, Sanders was released from the county jail on a $3,000 bond.
The coach for the Texas Longhorns, Mack Brown, reported that university administrators were monitoring the situation. However, the potential consequences to Sanders could be very severe. Even a first DWI offense may result in a permanent criminal record, in the event of conviction. In addition, additional consequences may include fines, jail time and a suspended driver’s license.
In this case, the arrest was not made on campus property, which may mean that campus police have less discretion over the charges brought against Sanders. Hopefully, Sanders will obtain representation from an experienced Houston DWI attorney. An attorney may inquire into the details surrounding the DWI arrest. For example, the details of how this traffic stop escalated into a DWI arrest have not been released. An attorney may examine the record for any potential procedural violations or violations of Sanders’ rights.
Source: wtsp.com, “Kendall Sanders, University of Texas receiver, arrested on DWI charge,” April 9, 2013
