Two High-Profile Pennsylvanians Arrested for DUI

Pennsylvania DUI Lawyer Assesses Defendants’ Comments

What do a superstar comedian from Philadelphia and a current Pittsburgh mayoral candidate have in common? They both were recently arrested on charges of DUI. While the comedian turned to tongue-in-cheek comments on social media to air his views on his arrest, the mayoral candidate took a somewhat higher road in vowing to plead guilty to Pennsylvania DUI charges, seek a diversionary program, and continue his campaign for the Democratic mayoral nomination in the May primary.

The Daily News is reporting that nationally renowned comedian Kevin Hart was recently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in California after the California Highway Patrol reportedly stopped him for driving erratically and nearly colliding with a gas tanker truck on a freeway. Hart was booked for misdemeanor DUI and was held on $5,000 bond; he was later released after posting bond. He followed up his release from jail by posting various comments on Twitter, some of which seemed to admit guilt.

Hart has gained media attention lately for his recent debut hosting “Saturday Night Live,” finishing up his first season of the BET reality show “The Real Husbands of Hollywood,” which will feature Chris Rock during Season 2, and starring in his new movie, which will be released in theatres July 3.

On the political front, Pittsburgh Democratic mayoral candidate A.J. Richardson, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was arrested in the West End in early April after authorities allegedly found him slumped over the steering wheel of a minivan sitting in the middle of the street with its motor still running. Police further allege that Richardson failed several sobriety tests and referenced his run for mayor and the race to the arresting officers, all of whom were black. Although Richardson’s version of events seemed to change throughout the day as he attended news conferences and a mayoral debate, even claiming that he was the target of persecution and harassment at one point, he did later apologize for his actions and admit to having been drinking prior to his arrest.

Aside from both being charged with DUI, these two somewhat-famous Pennsylvania defendants have both committed one major error in dealing with their respective DUI charges. They both have made very public statements – Hart through social media, and Richardson through the press – seemingly without first having contacted an experienced Pennsylvania DUI lawyer, or in Hart’s case, a California DUI lawyer. Both defendants made statements that can easily be construed as guilty of the crimes of which they are accused. Based on these statements, which were made freely and openly to the public, it could become very difficult for either man to defend against the pending DUI charges. The moral of this story, then, is to make it your first priority to consult with your Pennsylvania DUI attorney, and certainly do so before turning to the media and making any statement that could come back to haunt you in the future.