Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer Blog
There has been a significant increase in the number of women who have been arrested and convicted for DUI in the Jacksonville, Florida area according to a study and interview reported at www.News4Jax.com. The article cited a study that indicated the percentage of women pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (also referred to as a DUI, a DWI or drunk driving) has increased almost 30% between 1998 and 2007 (the article does not indicate what area these numbers cover). A member of the State Attorney’s Office for the Jacksonville, Florida area also confirmed that they have noticed an upward trend in the percentage of women defendants who have been arrested and charged with DUI, particularly in the more serious cases such as DUI manslaughter when the DUI was allegedly related to an accident that resulted in a death.
Another DUI trend noted by the Jacksonville, Florida prosecutor is the increase in DUI arrests related to drugs as opposed to alcohol. A person can be arrested for driving under the influence of illegal drugs or prescription drugs just as he/she can be arrested for driving while intoxicated.
However, despite the increase in women arrested for the crime of DUI, men are still arrested for DUI at a much higher rate than women.