A man arrested in Vero Beach, Florida had quite the defensive argument after he was arrested for driving under the influence.
Earle Stevens, 69 at the time of the arrest, told the officers that he was not drinking and driving, but rather only drinking at "stop signs."
HA! You gotta give the man an A for effort! That is certainly a creative argument. I can only imagine it took everything in the arresting officer not to laugh out loud at the nonsense.
Local station News Channel 3 reports:
Police received a 911 call after a McDonald’s drive-thru customer in Vero Beach complained of a driver behind her repeatedly bumping her car.
Indian River County sheriff’s deputies found Stevens still behind the wheel, an open bottle of booze stuffed in a paper bag on the seat next to him, according to the affidavit.
Deputies said Stevens smelled of alcohol and told them he was feeling “pretty good.”
Stevens, who said he has never had a Florida driver’s license, allegedly told deputies that he’d only sip Jim Beam at “stop signs.”
Stevens, who told officers he’d also been busted twice for driving under the influence in Missouri, according to the paper, was booked on charges of DUI and driving without a license.
The affidavit said, “He further explained that he was not drinking while the car was moving and only when he stopped for stop signs and traffic signals.”
I'm sure he legitimately thought he had a good defensive argument. Alcohol gives you quite the boost of confidence!