Postal Worker Charged with DUI

 Posted on September 29, 2013 in Criminal defense lawyer

Thomas M. Hackney, a 40-year-old U.S. Postal Service worker “was charged with drunken driving after he crashed a mail truck while on duty and injured himself” in early July, according to the Chicago Tribune. The postman was charged with a misdemeanor for DUI, police told the Tribune, and was taken by the fire department from the scene of the crash to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital in Cook County. According to the Tribune, Hackney told police that, “another vehicle turned in front of him, causing him to swerve and the ‘next thing he knew he was at a hospital.’”

When questioned by police at the hospital regarding the crash, Hackney could not remember which road he was traveling on. He told police that the reason he smelled of alcohol and had glassy, bloodshot eyes was because he had had a “bit” to drink the night before, but when tested, his blood alcohol level proved to be more than two times the legal limit. Hackney didn’t remember whether he had dropped to mail off downtown or if he was doing pickups at the time of the crash. He will appear in court in August.

According to BrightHub, while it’s not always guaranteed (and in some cases contestable) that a person would lose his job because he was slapped with a DUI, in Hackney’s case his position will likely be up for review. “If driving a company vehicle is your main responsibility,” reports BrightHub, “driving under the influence of alcohol will automatically disqualify you for the job.” Additionally, government jobs, such as those provided by the U.S. Postal Service, tend to be less lenient on personal offenses. In New Hampshire, the Nashua Telegraph reports that “police officers, firefighters, or other public employees arrested for driving while intoxicated often endure the glare of publicity on top of everything else, and a conviction can hit them harder than the average Joe.”

If you or someone you know is a government employee and were recently charged with DUI, don’t go through it alone. The most important step is to contact a dedicated criminal defense attorney today.