Courtesy MSN and Paty Dermody

A southwest pilot was stopped by a member of TSA after the Transportation Service Administration employee smelled alcohol on the pilot for southwest according the MSN news. A deputy filed a report indicating that the pilot for southwest was stopped for having alcohol on his breath and was arrested by his department for DUI for violation of FAA regulations. 

All police use some of the various available charges to stop a vehicle. Here though the driver/captain was stopped by TSA for the smell of alcohol. The reasons for stopping someone for flying a plane are different from regular drivers on the road. FAA regulations "prohibit pilots from using alcohol while on duty or from flying, or attempting to fly, an aircraft within eight hours of consuming alcohol or if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04% or greater," the agency said in a statement.

This means that if the pilot smells like alcohol that is enough reason to detain him for a moment and investigate the smell, which lead to this pilots arrest. For drivers of vehicles, obviously FAA regulations do not have an affect on driving a vehicle but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration placed field sobriety tests to ensure that drivers are safe and are not Driving Under the Influence.

It doesn't matter where you find yourself in Georgia almost all of the police force use this common charge to begin a DUI investigation including: Johns Creek Police, Alpharetta Police, Milton Police, DeKalb County Police, City of Decatur Police, Atlanta, Police Gwinnett County Police and the list goes on. This “tool” allows the police to stop a vehicle for any “legal” reason and their investigation can lead to to a DUI if they suspect the driver has been drinking or using drugs.

As a result of the Governor's office of Highway Safety teaming up with various organizations, including the HEAT and TEAM division of local counties, the cops are cracking down on impaired driving.

If you have been accused by the police of driving under the influence then you need help from a trained DUI attorney. Should YOU find that you either don't want to face the court alone or simply feel that you need help from an attorney then give our office a call regarding your citations. There are facts to every case where defenses can be raised for anyone charged with driving under the influence. Each situation is different from the other and requires a evaluation of all the information in order to properly mount a defense and a effective negotiation with the prosecutor's office.              Remember that every DUI case is different because no two sets of facts are the same. Application of the above case law to your situation would take examination of the facts surrounding your case and applying this case law properly to create a properly mounted defense for YOUR arrest.

              Our office has 24 hour response lines and can answer your questions and help you. Give our team of DUI defense lawyers a call at 404-445-8494. We can help you mount a proper defense for your situation.